[PHOTOS] Yes, It Really Did Snow In Vietnam!
In Northern Vietnam temperatures dropped below the freezing point, resulting in a rare snowfall in the region, it’s first in many years.
By Sadho Ram — 20 Dec 2013, 03:19 PM — Updated almost 11 years ago
Snow has fallen in Northern Vietnam for the first time in many years
The snow caused a five-hour traffic jam as people drove into the mountainous provinces of Lao Cai and Ha Giang to see the wintry flurries.
aljazeera.com
The weather system responsible for the snow has also brought some unusual weather to other parts of the region.
This is normally the dry season, but torrential rain has been lashing Laos, Vietnam and southeast China.
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Oudomxay in Laos reported 142mm of rain in a 24 hour period and Zhanjiang in China’s Guangdong province, reported 102mm. For Zhanjiang, this is three times the amount of rain that is expected in the entire month of December.
aljazeera.com
The torrential downpours have caused flooding in parts of the region, which has inundated peoples' homes and made roads impassable.
Conditions across the region are expected to improve over the next few days. The rain will slowly edge eastwards and subside.
freedistrict.com
100 hectares of chayote and another 100 hectares of flowers were destroyed, and all vegetables and other crops were buried by snow in Sa Pa
Heavy snowfall also led to constant traffic congestion on Highway 4D connecting Lai Chau and Lao Cai provinces
Local authorities reported that some 5,000 people flocked to Sa Pa to watch the snow, adding to the traffic congestion.
The province has quickly mobilised workers and rescuers to remove snow and assure that travel remains safe
Sa Pa Town in the northern province of Lao Cai, a major national tourist attraction, wears an even more attractive look now with snowfall of more than five centimetres
It said that at a height of over 1,900m above sea level, temperatures had dipped to as low as minus two degrees Celsius, forming icy sheets 10-20cm thick
While it has been known for long that it snows in Sa Pa, this is not a common occurrence
Average temperature in Sa Pa remained low yesterday at about minus one degree Celsius, with constant heavy smog and drizzle
Vietnam had already been experiencing unusual weather before the snow hit, with torrential downpours lashing the country during its dry season. The same has been happening in neighboring Laos and southeast China.
In Laos, Oudomxay received 142mm of rain in a single 24-hour period, while Zhanjiang in Guangdon province in China reported 102mm. This is three times the amount of expected rainfall for the entire month of December for Zhanjiang, said reports.
freedistrict.com
The heavy rains have caused flooding in many parts of the area, and has inundated peoples’ homes and made roads impassable. Conditions are expected to improve across the region over the next several days. The forecast calls for the rain to slowly move eastwards and subside, according to reports.
therealsingapore.com
This news of unusual weather in the region comes shortly after another freak snowfall swept through the Middle East and covered Cairo, Egypt for the first time in decades.
freedistrict.com
See beautiful photos of how snow has blanketed Egypt for the first time in over 100 years
Jordanians play with the snow in an open field during a snowstorm in Amman, Jordan, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013.
Image via says.com