Trees in Phia Oac Forest frozen on November 24
It is forecasted that cold air will worsen on November 25. Many visitors have planned to go to Sapa and mountainous villages to see the snow. However, Sapa and Mau Son Mountain haven't had any snow yet even though the temperatures dropped to one to three degrees.
In Dien Bien Province, the temperature in several districts such as Tua Chua and Muong Nhe was as low as 7 Celsius. Vice Chairwoman of Tua Chua District People's Committee Hoang Thi Tuyet Ban said the temperatures dropped since November 23. Trees and crops in Sin Chai Commune were frozen.
"Luckily, the cold weather hasn't caused any damage yet," she said.
The authorities of Tua Chua are directing the farmers to protect their animals and crops as well as themselves. Schools can let pupils stay home if it is too cold.
Pha Din Mountain Pass, which is over 1,600 metres above sea level, is forecasted to be the coldest place in Dien Bien. Frost and snow will affect daily lives.
Sung A Chu, vice chairman of Toa Tinh Commune, said they had advised locals to start storing food and not let the cattle out during cold days. However, he worried that they might face some problems with finding food for over 2,500 cattle and other animals.
Director of Dien Bien Province Hydro-meteorological Centre Dao Duc Thuy said the temperatures on November 24 were 13 to 15 degrees, some places were under 13 degrees. The lowest temperature at Pha Din Pass was 5 degrees.
On November 21, the provincial Steering Committee of Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue asked local authorities and relevant agencies to monitor the weather to deal with emergencies. State agencies should send more employees to guide the locals on how to protect the animals' cages.