Rare phenomenon of snowfall occurred in mountainous area of Y Ty in Lao Cai Province’s Bat Xat District as from the midnight of Sunday, impacting on life as well as outdoor production activities of people. Vegetable and seeding crops of local people were covered with ice and damaged significantly.
On the same day, the lowest temperature on the peak of Phia Oac in Cao Bang Province’s Binh Nguyen District plummeted to minus 10 degree Celsius, causing a phenomenon of frozen water and wind chill. Thousands of hectares of tree and forest have been frozen.
Mau Son tourist site in Lang Son Province’s Loc Binh District and Sa Pa Town of Lao Cai Province shriveled and benumbed with cold of minus 0.5 degree Celsius, minus 0.8 degree Celsius respectively.
Below zero-degree Celsius temperature has produced frozen and thick fog in Sa Pa Town, causing difficult traffic and slippery road for vehicles travelling from National Highway 4D in Lao Cai to Lai Chau Province through O Quy Ho Mountain Pass. As this reason, the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province has recommended visitors not come close to area of O Quy Ho and Tram Ton pass during extreme cold weather, and banned all trucks except vehicles for fuel oil delivery, postal service, relief transport and emergency situations.
By January 11, the cold wave caused a damage of around VND1.4 billion (nearly US$61,000) for local agricultural sector.
Notably, there were 18 hectares of destroyed-vegetable crops in O Quy Ho Ward, 1,050 damaged orchid-pots in Ta Phin Commune, 38 buffalo and cow deaths in communes of Ta Van, Thanh Binh, Ban Ho, Ta Phin, Ngu Chi Son, etc.
Besides, the Northern Power Corporation informed that some transformer stations and power lines in areas of Phia Oac in Cao Bang Province, Mau Son, Y Ty have been enveloped with snow and ice.
According to the weather experts, Ho Chi Minh City, the Southern and Southeastern provinces and cities are forecast to maintain milder climate with slight sunshine and colder weather at nighttime and in the early mornings.
Meanwhile, Director of the National Center for Hydrology Meteorology Forecasting Mr. Hoang Phuc Lam predicted that temperature in the Red River Delta would increase slightly as from January 12; however, the mountainous areas would be likely to continue to experience bone-chilling cold.
Yesterday, the Department of Education and Training of Quang Binh Province announced that more than 20,000 pupils were allowed to stay home due to temperature plummeting to below seven degrees Celsius in mountainous districts of Huong Hoa and Tuyen Hoa.
