The center forecast that around January 1, 2026, the cold air will impact the Northeastern region before spreading to the Northwestern, the North Central, the Central region, and parts of the South Central region. Northeasterly winds over land will strengthen to category 3, while coastal areas will see winds at categories 4–5, with gusts reaching category 6 in some locations.
From the night of December 31, 2025 to January 1, 2026, the Northern provinces and cities, along with Thanh Hoa and Nghe An, will experience rain and scattered showers, followed by a noticeable temperature drop.
Cold conditions are expected from January 1, with severe cold in mountainous and midland areas of the North and isolated instances of extreme cold.
During this period, minimum temperatures in the Northern region will range from 11–14 degrees Celsius, falling to 8–11 degrees Celsius in mountainous and midland areas, and dropping below 7 degrees Celsius in some high-altitude locations. In the North Central region, temperatures are forecast at 13–16 degrees Celsius.
Due to the strength of the cold air mass and its deep penetration into the Central region, areas from Ha Tinh to Da Nang, as well as eastern parts of provinces from Quang Ngai to Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa, will experience rain and showers, with localized moderate to heavy rainfall from January 2 through January 4.
Meteorologists noted that the Southern region is currently experiencing stable dry-season weather, with sunny days, cooler nights and low humidity.
In Ho Chi Minh City, nighttime temperatures are expected to range from 22–23 degrees Celsius, dipping to around 21–22 degrees Celsius during the 2026 New Year holiday.
