Northern Vietnam is expected to experience a mild cold spell in the coming days, with showers and thunderstorms forecast from the night of March 20, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
From March 18 to 20, northern and north-central areas, from Thanh Hoa to Hue, are forecast to see scattered rain, early-morning mist and fog, followed by sunshine later in the day.
Across the rest of the country, conditions will be mostly sunny, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening.
The incoming weak cold air mass, combined with upper-level wind convergence, is expected to bring intermittent rain and isolated storms to northern and north-central regions. Mountainous and midland areas may experience more widespread showers and localised thunderstorms.
In Hanoi, skies will be mostly cloudy with light showers and morning mist on Thursday. Conditions are expected to clear towards midday, with sunshine returning in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, in Ho Chi Minh City, weather will be partly cloudy, with sunny conditions during the day and a chance of showers or thunderstorms at night. Temperatures are forecast to range from 23-25 degree Celsius in the early morning to 32-34 degree Celsius during the day, with some areas exceeding 34 degree Celsius.
In the southeast, hot conditions are expected to intensify, with a more widespread heatwave likely around March 21-22.