People in the south-eastern and central regions are flocking to parks and hospitals as a heat wave disrupts normal lives.
Many people have been hospitalised with heart-related diseases over
the last week. In Khanh Hoa province’s Nha Trang City ,
considered to have the most temperate weather in the central region,
locals have rushed to parks along coast to escape the heat.
Local officials said that the number of people visiting the city’s
parks have doubled compared to normal days, with many taking mats and
chairs along.
Temperatures in Phan Thiet, Nha Trang
and Ninh Thuan’s Phan Rang – Thap Cham City have hovered between
32 – 33 degrees Celsius over the past few days.
Nguyen Phuoc Huy, director of Dong Nai province’s Centre for
Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said it is now the hottest time of the
year. The mercury has climbed to 36-38 degrees Celsius in the last few
days, higher than the average temperature of the same period for many
years by at least one degree.
“In April and the first
half of May, there will be many hot days. And the hot temperature will
last 10-16 hours a day,” Huy said.
In HCM City ,
temperatures have reached 36-37 degrees Celsius this week, according to
the National Centre for Hydro – Meteorological Forecasting.
According to Phan Enga, head of the Khanh Hoa General Hospital ’s
Paediatrics Ward, the number of children suffering respiratory diseases
and diarrhoea has increased rapidly over the last few days. The ward
has 120 beds, but the number of inpatients has increased to 220, he
said.
Thai Phuong Phien, deputy director of the
Ninh Thuan General Hospital , said although it has not reached the
warning level, the number of children and the elderly hospitalised with
diarrhoea, fever and high blood pressure has increased rapidly over the
past five days.
Demand for air conditioners and fans has also nearly doubled at shops in HCM City in recent weeks.
Electronics supermarkets and shops in HCM City said the prices
of several products had gone up by 10-20 percent because of increased
demand.
According to the National Hydro-meteorology Forecasting Centre, hot, dry weather will continue until the end of May.-VNA