Peak temperatures are forecast to reach 35-37 degrees Celsius across a wide swath of the country, with some areas exceeding 38 degrees, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) said. The heat marks the earliest widespread heatwave in decades for several regions.
The northwest typically records its first heatwave between April 8 and 21, while the northeast usually holds off until May 8 to June 1.
This year, both regions will see heat arrive by late March, 15 to 25 days ahead of the historical average. The Thanh Hoa-to-Hue corridor, which normally sees its first hot spell between April 4 and 16, is 7-10 days early. The south-central coast is 20 to 35 days ahead of its usual late April to early May window.
The early onset follows northern Vietnam’s second-warmest winter on record. Average temperatures from December 2025 through February 2026 hit 18.21 degrees, 1.67 degrees above the long-term average and just shy of the record set in 2018-2019, according to NCHMF data.
From March 30 to April 2, the northwestern region and provinces from Thanh Hoa to Hue are expected to see widespread heat of 35-37 degrees, with pockets above 38 degrees.
The Red River Delta, including Hanoi, could reach 35-36 degrees on March 30-31. High-altitude areas above 1,500 meters such as Sa Pa could see highs climb to 26 degrees.
U.S.-based AccuWeather forecasts northern temperatures rising 7-8 degrees from current levels early next week, reaching 25-36 degrees.
Nguyen Van Huong, head of the NCHMF’s Weather Forecasting Department, attributed the shift to the ENSO phenomenon moving toward its warm phase in the second half of the year.
Weakening trade winds over the Pacific are altering convection patterns, raising the likelihood of longer and more extreme heatwaves across tropical regions including Vietnam. Climate change is compounding the effect.
The agency warned that heat combined with falling humidity raises the risk of residential fires and forest fires in mountainous areas. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause dehydration, exhaustion, heatstroke and heat shock.
The heat is expected to expand from April, starting in the northwestern region and western parts of the north-central region before spreading to the Thanh Hoa-to-Hue corridor.
By late May, hot conditions are forecast to cover the entire north and central regions, intensifying through June to August before easing in September.
The NCHMF expects 2026 to bring more frequent and more intense hot days than 2025, raising the risk of extreme weather events across the country.
Comments are closed.