Blanket closets at a class of Quảng Lạc Primary School in northern mountainous Lạng Sơn Province. VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuấn

HÀ NỘI — Severe cold spells are expected to hit northern mountainous and midland provinces in the second half of this month, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

Nguyễn Đức Hòa, deputy head of the agency’s Weather Forecasting Department, said that in the first half of this month, as intensive cold air tends to weaken and deviate to the East, northern and northcentral localities from Thanh Hóa to Nghệ An will see light rain, drizzle, and fog at night and in the early morning.

Meanwhile, there are possibilities that severe cold will appear later this month in mountainous and midland provinces, he added.

Hòa said that the average temperature across the country this month is similar to the average of many years. Particularly, in the northwest region, the common temperature is 0.5-1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the average of many years in the same period.

The total rainfall in the northwest region will be 5-10mm lower than the average.

Other areas will see a higher rainfall than the average of previous years, especially this year’s rainfall in the southcentral and southern regions will be 20-40mm higher. — VNS