A strengthened cold wave may hit northern Vietnam on January 6 and 9, making the temperature dropping to under 10 degrees Celsius, the National Hydrometeorology Forecast Center said.

The center also warned of frost in mountainous provinces. It said the temperature will plummet to 0 degree Celsius and snow will appear in Mau Son and Sapa, Lao Cai province.

Meanwhile, the cold spell will bring light rains and fog to the central region.

Down south, the temperatures may drop by 2-3 degrees Celsius, with the weather becoming cool at night and in the early morning.

Thick fog will also blanket Ho Chi Minh City and other neighboring provinces.

Children and the elderly have been hospitalized in the past days in Hanoi as temperatures dropped to 3-4 degrees Celsius.

It is estimated that nearly 1,300 young patients were sent to the Pediatrics Hospital on January 3 while the number of patients to Bach Mai and Saint Paul hospitals increased by 20 percent. They were diagnosed as suffering from coughs, bronchitis, colds, or diarrhea due to the freezing air.

Meanwhile, around 150 elderly people have been sent to the Geriatrics Hospital in Hanoi for suffering from high blood pressure, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications, and pneumonia.

Doctors said that children need to be wrapped up and kept warm while the elderly should not venture outside in cold weather.

Source: Tuoi Tre/VNE