According to the initial statistics from the Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disasters Prevention and Control, the Northern mountainous province of Son La lost around VND13.7 billion (nearly US$584,000) by the noon of Sunday after the hail had swept through districts of Thuan Chau, Moc Chau and Muong La.
In addition, the natural disaster destroyed 348 houses and devastated 8.1 hectares of paddy fields, 10 hectares of coffee, more than 351 hectares of mango, plum, longan, more than 44,000 square meters area of off-grid houses and 300 dead poultry, 30 meters of river dykes and caused landslides of 100- meter taluy roof and 230 meters of road.
As report, a two-hour downpour along with thunderstorm blew up house roofs and damaged vegetable and fruit crops, a bridge with an initial loss of around VND1 billion (nearly US$43,000) in Ma Ly Pho and Huoi Luong commune, Phong Tho Town in Lai Chau Province on April 10.
Due to the bad weather, the National Hydrology Meteorology Forecast Center constantly issued warnings of tropical downpour, flash flood, hail phenomenon and landslide in provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Cao Bang.
As forecasted, a cold air mass hit almost every Northern, North- Central and Northwestern provinces yesterday.
Due to the influence, temperatures in the capital city of Hanoi averaged between 15 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius.
The cold wave is expected to spread to other places of the North- Central and Mid- Central regions respectively, notably provinces from Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen, from Nghe An to Quang Ngai will experience medium- heavy to heavy rainfalls.
