Temperatures in HCM City have reached 34-35 degrees Celsius amid a heat wave that threatens to last more than a month. — VNS Photo Ngọc Diệp

HCM CITY — The southern region, including HCM City, is suffering from a heat wave which is predicted to peak in late March and early April, according to the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station.

Lê Đình Quyết, deputy head of the weather forecast division at the Southern Hydrometeorology Station, said the number of hot days and the intensity of UV radiation are predicted to rise this year.

The dry season in the southern region normally lasts from December to the end of April.

“Hot weather has been reported across the south-eastern region since mid-February,” Quyết said.

Temperatures in the region could rise sharply between February 21 and 23.

In HCM City, they could reach 36 degrees Celsius at the end of this month.

In March, the hot weather would worsen, Quyết said.

“Temperatures in the south-eastern region are often higher than in the south-western region.”

They could rise above 38 degrees Celsius in the region, and to 37-38 degrees in HCM City, the station said.

Exposure to the sun should be limited between noon and 3pm when UV radiation is strongest, according to experts.

People should wear hats, protective clothing, face masks, sunglasses and sunscreen if they need to go outside, they warned. — VNS