A motorcyclist wears protective clothing amid hot weather. Residents in HCMC and some southeastern provinces have experienced sweltering days over the past few weeks - PHOTO: VNA

Residents in HCMC and some southeastern provinces like Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Tay Ninh have experienced sweltering days over the past few weeks. The stifling heat could be felt from early morning, reported Thanh Nien newspaper.

Temperatures in the southern city were forecast to be as high as 35 degrees Celsius between March 15 and 18, without any rain, according to Weather Online website. The UV index was predicted to reach 11, which is considered the highest level by the World Health Organization.

Overexposure to direct sunlight results in sunburn over time. Given a UV index reading of 11, burning can occur in 10 minutes. If the UV index ranges from eight to 10, people can get a sunburn in 25 minutes.

Accordingly, the city dwellers and residents in the south should minimize sun exposure, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. They should wear protective clothing and use sunscreen if they need to go outside.

Le Dinh Quyet, deputy head of the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center, told the paper that extreme UV levels in the city and other southern localities have been caused by the baking hot weather along with light or thin clouds.

Southeastern provinces will likely see temperatures rising to 38 degrees Celsius from now until the end of the month and up to 39 degrees Celsius in early April.

Further, the absence of rain year-to-date has intensified the hot weather and worsened the drought faced by localities in the south. With little rain, seawater intrusion and drought in the coastal southern provinces will worsen until mid-May, Quyet said. SGT