Temperatures on Wednesday reached 35-36 degrees Celsius across the region from Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen, with Do Luong in Nghe An Province recording 37 degrees.
The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said hot weather would persist on Wednesday across Nghe An, Danang, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen, before intensifying on Thursday with temperatures of 35-37 degrees Celsius and higher in some areas
The agency warned that the heatwave is likely to continue for several more days in central Vietnam and noted that the perceived temperature outdoors could be 2-4 degrees higher than forecast because of heat retained by surfaces such as concrete and asphalt.
Northern Vietnam is expected to see scattered showers and thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening over the coming days, with daytime temperatures remaining at 32-34 degrees.
The Central Highlands and southern Vietnam are forecast to experience scattered showers and thunderstorms, with isolated heavy rain, as the southwest monsoon strengthens.