Northern Vietnam entered its third day of a cold period, the coldest seen this winter, on Monday, when all 25 cities and provinces saw temperatures dropping below 10 degrees.

In Hanoi, temperatures dropped by 6-7 degrees compared to Sunday, with the outlying Ba Vi District recording the lowest temperature at 7 degrees.

Temperatures in mountainous regions dropped by 2-4 degrees compared to Sunday morning, with the lowest temperature seen in Ha Giang’s Dong Van at 1 degree. High-altitude locations like Lao Cai’s Fansipan peaks saw temperatures dropping below zero degrees, with frost and ice remaining for the third day in a row.

Despite the cold, the weather is dry and as the sun comes up, temperatures quickly rise during the day. Hanoi’s highest temperature during the day would be around 21 degrees, while high-altitude locations like Sa Pa would see the highest temperature at 13 degrees, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Moisture level in the air is only at 30-40%, causing dry skin and chapped lips.

The cold has also come for central Vietnam, with localities north of the Hai Van Pass and from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue Provinces recording temperatures at typically 10-15 degrees Monday morning.

The national weather forecast center expected the cold period in the plains and the northern midlands to last until the end of Monday. Starting Tuesday, temperatures would quickly rise, to around 10 degrees at night and 22 degrees during the day in Hanoi. Mountainous regions, however, would still experience the cold for another 2-3 days.

On Wednesday and from Friday to Saturday, more cold air is expected to come down to northern Vietnam regions, causing low nighttime temperatures.

Source: VNE