VietNamNet Bridge - Hanoians are experiencing an abnormally hot winter with higher average temperatures in the first half of December compared with the same period 10 years ago. 

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Nguyen Dang Quang from the Central Hydrometeorology & Weather Forecast Center commented that Hanoi is witnessing an ‘unusual’ winter.

In previous years, December was always the coldest month with the strong northeast monsoon. It is now still hot and sunny.

The meteorological station located on Lang street showed the average temperature in the first half of December was 22.4oC. The station in Ha Dong district showed the same thing. Meanwhile, the average temperature in the first half of December in the last 10 years was 18.5oC.

In previous years, December was always the coldest month with the strong northeast monsoon. It is now still hot and sunny.
The average temperature this year is 4oC higher, an ‘awful figure’ considering its impact on plants and animals, and on human health.

Quang said spells of cold still came in the first half of December, but the cold air intensity was not strong enough to reduce the temperature sharply.

In general, a spell of cold can force the temperature in Hanoi and northern provinces down by 10-12oC within the first 24 hours.

Quang said the temperature around the globe has also been increasing as a result of global warming. 

A newly released report by EEA (European Environment Agency) shows that Europe is getting warmer faster than in the rest of the world. The agency predicted that cold winter may disappear by 2080 as a result of global warming.

How about Vietnam? Luu Minh Hai, director of the Lao Cai provincial Hydrometeorology Center, said there has been no research which can give forecasts. 

However, he said that winter will still come in the next years. It may happen that summer will be longer and winter shorter. This year’s winter came late and it may end sooner than in previous years.

Scientists usually mention El Nino as the culprit which causes natural calamities and hot weather. 

2015 was considered one of the hottest years affected by El Nino. In summer, the temperature in some countries reached 60oC, which could melt asphalt.

In Vietnam, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2016, Vietnam faced the more severe drought so far, which seriously affected the agriculture production.

Hai said with rapid urbanization, the increased. Mun amount of people flocking to Sa Pa and global warming, people may see less snow in Sa Pa.