Today, January 11, Hanoians suffered from the coldest weather so far this year. The temperature felt to 8-11 degree Celsius. The chilling weather was worsened by rain

Due to cold weather, many kindergartens and primary schools in Hanoi were closed today.

The chill also covered the entire northern region and the northern part of the central region. In Mau Son mounts in the northern border province of Lang Son, which is 1500m from the sea level, the temperature dropped to minus two degrees Celsius. Frost covered everything.

Hundreds of tourists have flocked to Mau Son to see the frost and to take pictures.

“It is terribly cold here. Water froze after a while,” said a Dao ethnic man.

In Sapa, which is over 1500m from the sea, the temperature was from 5-7 degrees Celsius but there was no snow.

Many northern provinces also recorded the highest temperatures so far this year today, which ranged from 7 to 9 degrees Celsius.

Some central provinces were also cold today, with 11 degrees Celsius in Vinh City and 18 degrees Celsius in Da Nang city.

Weather forecasters said that the cold spell will last until January 20.

Due to damaging cold weather, over 400 buffaloes in the northern mountain provinces like Bac Kan, Ha Giang, Lao Cai and Yen Bai have frozen to death, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said.

The chief of the Ministry’s Livestock Breeding Department Hoang Kim Giao said the actual figures remain unknown as the provinces have not yet submitted reports. The department is working with the provinces to collect updated numbers of livestock deaths.

In 2008, over 52,000 buffaloes and cows died during prolonged cold spells. Giao said that current figures would not exceed those from 2008 since farmers were instructed to cover breeding facilities as early as October.

With many buffaloes frozen to death, meat has become very cheap. A dead calf sells for VND500,000 (US$23) and an adult buffalo costs only VND300,000 ($14).

The longest recorded cold spell in Hanoi was in January-February 2008, and lasted for 38 days. At that time, the temperature in Hanoi was 7 degrees Celsius.

PV