A fruit stand at Ngoc Ha Market in central Hanoi

It is when the flowers of the golden rain trees bloom in the June sunshine that the summer has entered its hottest days.

Even in the early morning, tourists have to use umbrellas, hats, jackets and apply suntan lotion to protect themselves from the sun.

A group of Thai visitors at the Ho Chi Minh Museum

Sathian from Thailand says that the 38C temperature is not higher than that in his country but it feels much hotter.

Children at a school in Cau Giay district begin their exams on a hot day.

A mother waits for her son outside his school.

The relatives of patients at Viet Duc Hospital stay inside the hallways to avoid the heat.

At a red light, people take shelter from the burning sun under the shades of trees.

The shade of a footbridge is also a useful shelter from the sun for both cars and motorbikes.

Where there is no shade, waiting for the traffic lights to turn green is a searing pain.

People carrying their children behind them on their motorbikes take refuge under a flyover.

Vegetables on sale wither after a morning of intense sun.

Amid the scorching sun, public parks have become oases for outdoor labourers in the capital city.

For those that have to go outside, covering themselves from head to toe is the best way to protect their health.

The normally busy streets are now dotted with just a few people.