Northern region to face bracing cold spell during Tet holiday. Illustrative photo.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, the cold snap is forecast to bring temperatures down sharply to 13 degrees Celsius, and some mountain peaks will experience icy weather and frosts.
"It may feel colder as this cold wave will arrive with drizzle," the centre warned.
The cold snap will also affect some northern central localities while rising tides during Tet are forecast to flood the southern region.
The centre said that La Nina's late arrival is expected to cause several bouts of severe cold spells in the northern region in the coming months.
Meteorologists affirmed that La Nina, the cool phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, has arrived. Despite its late arrival, it will still have noticeable impacts in the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam, especially during the winter.
Temperatures in the northern region of Vietnam are forecast to be lower than the average of previous years. Severe cold snaps will occur more frequently and last until February.
La Nina will heighten the likelihood of frost, ice, and other extreme weather phenomena in mountainous areas. In addition, wetter conditions are anticipated, with periods of drizzle and heavy rains.