Meteorological authorities warned that a widespread cold front would grip the Northern region on January 3, while the Central region would also experience cold to severe cold conditions.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of the morning of January 3, cold air had affected most areas of the North Central Coast, causing temperatures to fall by 1–2 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day.
Under the influence of the cold air, areas from Nghe An to Da Nang City and the eastern parts of provinces from Quang Ngai to Dak Lak experienced rain and scattered showers. In the Gulf of Tonkin, strong northeast winds reached category 6, with gusts at times reaching category 7.
The meteorological agency forecast that on January 3, the cold air would continue to affect the remaining parts of the North Central Coast and then spread to parts of the South Central Coast. On land, northeast winds remain at category 2–3, increasing to category 3–4 in coastal areas.
In both the Northern and North Central regions, the weather remained cold. Mountainous areas in the North experienced severe cold, with some places facing extreme cold. Areas from Quang Tri Province to Hue City were chilly.
The lowest temperatures in the North ranged from 12–15 degrees Celsius, dropping to 9–12 degrees Celsius in mountainous areas, and below 8 degrees Celsius in some high mountainous locations. In the North Central region, temperatures were commonly 13–16 degrees Celsius. It ranged from 16–19 degrees Celsius in the area from Quang Tri to Hue. High mountainous areas in the North faced the risk of frost.
The meteorological agency also warned that due to the cold air, areas from Ha Tinh Province to Da Nang City and the eastern parts of provinces from Quang Ngai to Dak Lak could experience moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Ho Chi Minh City is expected to feel slightly chilly at night and in the early morning on January 3 and January 4, with the lowest temperature dropping to 21 degrees Celsius and the daytime high reaching around 30 degrees Celsius.
During the day and night of January 3, the Southern region was forecast to have cloudy skies with intermittent sunshine. Northeast winds were expected at category 2–3.
Along the southern coast, coastal waters from Ca Mau to Kien Giang and the Gulf of Thailand were expected to see winds category 5–6, with rough seas due to strong northeast winds at sea.
