Ho Chi Minh City and other parts of southern Vietnam have been blanketed by thick haze in recent days, lingering from early morning until late afternoon.
Viewed from above, much of Ho Chi Minh City has taken on a murky gray appearance, with the dense haze obscuring high-rise buildings and residential areas.
Along roads beside the Saigon River and the city’s canals, the haze has been particularly dense, significantly reducing visibility.
The prolonged conditions have made travel more difficult and raised public concerns about deteriorating air quality.
Some residents have questioned whether smoke from forest fires in Indonesia could have been carried by winds toward Vietnam, potentially affecting health.
Thick haze blankets Ho Chi Minh City, obscuring much of the skyline. Photo: TK
Le Dinh Quyet, head of forecasting at the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center, told VietNamNet that the visibility-reducing haze observed in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces in recent days was unusual.
According to Quyet, meteorological data show extensive low-level cloud cover in the mornings, which gradually decreases around midday and in the afternoon as the southern branch of a subtropical high-pressure system extends westward.
Heavy rain has also occurred in the late afternoon and evening. Notably, the haze has persisted even when the sun is out.
“The meteorological conditions indicate that this is not simply normal mist,” Quyet said.
Typical mist occurs when humidity is high and temperatures are low, or when cold air pushes strongly southward into an area with an existing warm air mass, he explained.
However, the weather systems affecting southern Vietnam over the past few days do not fit those scenarios.
Quyet said additional air quality monitoring data would be needed to properly assess the phenomenon.
As for speculation that smoke from fires in Indonesia may be responsible, Quyet said there was not yet enough evidence to draw that conclusion.
High-rise buildings are barely visible through the dense gray haze over Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: TK
Multiple independent data sources would need to be compared before the cause could be accurately determined, he added.
Quyet also warned of significant changes in southern Vietnam’s weather from Sept. 17 to 21.
An increasingly active intertropical convergence zone is expected to shift southward across the region, while the southwest monsoon strengthens.
The combination is forecast to bring moderate to very heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Total rainfall during the period is expected to reach 100-250mm, with some locations receiving more than 250mm, creating a high risk of flooding in low-lying areas and urban districts with poor drainage.
Vietnamnet.vn
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