Extreme Heat Scorches Vietnam

Since late March 2026, temperatures across southern and central Vietnam have consistently exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. El Nino is sustaining abnormally hot and dry conditions, with forecasts projecting the heat will persist into early May. This is the most severe heatwave in over a decade.

The hardest-hit provinces include Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai in the south, and Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh in the center. Three Vietnamese cities have entered Asia's top 100 most polluted list, largely due to fine particulate matter exacerbated by high temperatures and drought.

The 2025-2026 El Nino event is pushing Pacific Ocean surface temperatures to abnormal highs, creating prolonged hot and dry weather patterns across Southeast Asia. Meteorologists warn that El Nino's effects could cause severe water shortages later in 2026.

Cold air masses from China occasionally provide temporary relief to northern provinces, but the south sees little benefit. Global climate change is making El Nino events more extreme and unpredictable.

Delivery riders -- the largest outdoor workforce in Vietnamese cities -- face severe heatstroke risk. According to VNExpress, asphalt surface temperatures can exceed 55 degrees Celsius at midday, doubling the heat shock risk compared to air temperature alone.

The heat doesn't just affect health directly -- it also worsens air pollution. Three Vietnamese cities entered Asia's top 100 most polluted in April. High temperatures combined with traffic and industrial emissions create dangerous ground-level ozone.

1. VNExpress -- El Nino Could Cause Extreme Heat, Water Shortages in Vietnam
2. VNExpress -- Southern Vietnam Heatwave Set to Persist Into Early May
3. VNExpress -- Delivery Riders Sliding Toward Heatstroke on Scorching Asphalt