VietNamNet Bridge – During summer, locals and tourists in the town of Sapa, a famous tourist attraction in Lao Cai province, had to put on warm clothes today, July 6, because the temperature suddenly fell to 12.7 degrees Celsius. 

Weather experts said this was an unusual phenomenon.

Mr. Luu Minh Hai, director of the Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecast of Lao Cai province, said the temperature not only plummeted in Sapa but also in some areas in the northern mountainous region.

The temperature was measured at 17.2 degrees Celsius on Pha Din Pass (Son La province), 16.5 degrees Celsius in Sin Ho (Lai Chau province), and 17.2 degrees Celsius in Mau Son (Lang Son province) this morning.

The phenomenon occurred because the North had just welcomed a strong cold spell, accompanied with intense rain, Hai explained.

Thanks to the cold spell, the temperature in Hanoi dropped by 7-8 degrees Celsius, from the peak of over 40 degrees Celsius last week.

Hai stressed that recent weather phenomena were caused by global climate change. Many parts of the world have also seen cases of unusual heat-cold spells, making the temperature change suddenly.

Previously, Sa Pa recorded similar phenomena, when temperature suddenly dropped to 12.2 degrees Celsius in July 2002 and 14.4 degrees Celsius in July 2005.

"However, this phenomenon will not last long. The temperature will gradually warm up tonight," Hai said.

The cold spell that covered the North on July 7 evening causing heavy rains in many provinces.

In Lao Cai province, flash floods caused by downpours killed one in Bat Xat province on July 5.

N. Trang