A street vendor uses a mini electric fan to cool herself. — VNA/VNS Photo

Maximum temperatures are likely to reach 35-37 degree Celsius for 11-16 hours per day.

Ultraviolet (UV) levels have reached from six to nine in Hanoi and HCM City, posing a high level of risk for people exposed directly to sunlight. The disaster risk level due to the hot weather has been set at 1.

Northern mountainous provinces will welcome showers and scattered strong winds with lightning and whirlwinds Friday night.

The area from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue provinces also has showers and scattered rain with temperature from 26 to 37 degree Celsius.

The same conditions are forecast from the central city of Da Nang to the southern province of Binh Thuan and the Central Highlands.

Southern provinces will be cloudy with scattered rain and strong winds day and night with temperatures of 24-33 degree Celsius.

VNS