The centre reported that in November, the temperature in the north and localities from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue provinces would be 0.5-1 degree centigrade lower than many previous years’ average level.

Between January and February and in April next year, the temperature of the whole country would be equal to the average level of years earlier.

Vietnam would face 4-5 strong cold spells from December to February next year. Each would last 7-10 days or even more in northern mountainous areas. The first has been predicted to occur in mid-November.

Earlier, the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting said that this year’s winter is forecasted to come later but be colder than the previous three years.

The phenomenon is due to the impact of La Niña which will make the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean to be lower than normal by 3 to 5 °C in the last months of the year. Laodong/Dtinews