People's lives are turned upside down in 40 degree Celsius heat

To cope with the heat, people have to cover up when going out. Photo: Quang An

The heat has disrupted people's lives. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung in Ben Thuy Ward said: My house is close to the street so there is a lot of traffic. At noon, I have to use a water hose to spray on the metal roof in front of the yard and on the street to reduce the temperature and limit dust from vehicles.

The heat also makes many workers tired and forced to change their working hours. In parks in Vinh City, many porters gather to rest under the shade of trees. Ms. Ha in Hung Chinh Commune said, "The sun comes early in the summer, so at 5am I prepared to cycle to the city to find work."

Workers take a nap in the park to avoid the heat. Photo: Quang An

In contrast, taxi and motorbike taxi drivers are facing a lack of customers. Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, a taxi driver in Quang Trung Ward, sighed: "It's hot so people rarely go out. From morning until now, I've only had one customer even though I left for work very early. Many taxis have air conditioning, but the number of customers is not high because people are afraid to go out."

At construction sites, although the temperature outside is up to 50 degrees Celsius, workers and masons still work to ensure progress. However, due to the hot weather, the project owners who calculate daily wages have allowed workers to change their hours.

For example, on normal days they work from 7am to 11am, now they start working from 6am to 10am, and work later in the afternoon. According to construction workers, this time adjustment is reasonable, it helps workers ensure their physical strength without affecting the construction progress.

Although the temperature outside is up to 50 degrees Celsius, workers still work to ensure progress. Photo: Quang An

Workers work in the sun. Photo: Quang An

In Vinh city, there is a large number of students and workers renting houses. Unlike households, these people often have to live in crowded dormitories. According to research, most of the dormitories in Vinh city are covered with corrugated iron roofs. On hot days, the temperature in the corrugated iron roofed rooms increases, making the tenants feel stuffy.

Nguyen Thi Van, a student renting a room in Hung Dung ward who is staying in the city to work part-time during the summer, said that her room does not have air conditioning or a fan, so she has not been able to stay in the room all day and night these past few days. Everyone has gathered in the hallway of the dormitory to catch the breeze, because no amount of fans can keep up...

Vinh City students fight the heat: Mr. Quang An