Snow on Fansipan in Sa Pa Town of the northern mountainous province Lào Cai in December 2017. — VNA/VNS Photo Hương Thu

HÀ NỘI — A new strong cold spell will begin to affect northern and central regions from January 7-12, with snow and frost forecast to appear in northern mountainous provinces, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The provinces set to be hit hardest include Lào Cai, Tuyên Quang, Hà Giang, Cao Bằng, Bắc Kạn and Lạng Sơn, with temperatures dropping below 0 degrees Celsius in high mountainous areas.

In the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of the central and southern regions, the waters are forecast to have strong winds with sea waves of up to 3-5m, while the high tide is predicted to hit the central and southern localities in the next 10 days.  

In recent days, strong winds, high waves and high tides have caused coastal erosion in the south-central provinces Bình Thuận and Phú Yên along with some other localities.

Experts have predicted that chilling cold spells will continue to hit Việt Nam from now to February, with each episode lasting from 7-10 days.

Some strong cold snaps could bring frost and snow in high mountainous areas, while heavy winds at sea and high tides threaten to cause landslides in coastal localities.

The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, and the National Committee for Natural Disaster Response, and Search and Rescue has asked steering committees for natural disaster response, search and rescue of northern and central localities and coastal provinces and ministries and sectors to prepare response measures.

The focus will be given to implementing safety measures for the elderly, children, and students, and cold prevention solutions for animals and plants.

The steering committees for natural disaster prevention and control and search and rescue of coastal provinces and cities from Quảng Ninh to Kiên Giang must inform and guide ship owners and captains of boats to move ashore or shelter in safe areas, and make appropriate adjustments to their production plans to ensure safety.

Attention will be also paid to inspecting and implementing safety measures for residential areas and coastal construction works.

The Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, Radio Voice of Vietnam and central and local press agencies are asked to regularly report on the developments of cold spells, coastal erosion, and strong winds at sea to help people prepare. — VNS