The lives of people in the mountainous areas of Nghe An are disrupted by the heat during Tet.

In the mountainous districts of Nghe An, people are afraid to go out to celebrate Tet because of the heat. Photo: Ho Phuong

In recent days, the temperature measured in some areas has reached 36 - 37 degrees Celsius. Specifically, at peak hours, the outdoor temperature in some areas such as: Cua Rao, Khe Bo, Hoa Binh town in Tuong Duong district reached 37 degrees Celsius; Quy Hop town 36 degrees Celsius; Kim Son town in Que Phong district 36 degrees Celsius.

Mr. Phan Van Dat, residing in Mo village, Tam Quang commune, Tuong Duong district, said: He and his family moved from the North to Tuong Duong district to live for more than 30 years now. Although there have been many hot "Tet seasons", there has never been a year as sunny as this year. "Spring is no different from summer. Since Tet until now, I have not been able to go out anywhere. Because of my old age, being out in the sun like this will only make me sick."

Many Tet activities of the people in the mountainous areas of Nghe An were suspended or canceled due to the heat. Photo: Ho Phuong

In the Mong villages on the mountain tops of Tay Son, Huoi Tu, Nam Can communes... in Ky Son district, the temperature in this season is often low, covered by clouds throughout winter and spring. Especially during the Lunar New Year, the weather is very pleasant and cool. However, the temperature in the past few days has been as high as summer, making it impossible for many people in this area to participate in Spring games like previous years, and food and drinks will spoil if not kept cold.

Mr. Lau Chong Tua, Truong Son village, Nam Can commune, tiredly said: "In previous years, banh chung and other Tet foods could be left outside for a few days, but this year, half a day after cooking, we had to put them in the refrigerator immediately. If we left them outside, they would go bad and get moldy."

Many families were forced to put banh chung and banh giay in the refrigerator earlier than planned due to the hot weather. Photo: Ho Phuong

Celebrating Tet in the hot sun has disrupted many activities and plans of the people in the mountainous areas of Nghe An. Especially outdoor Tet activities such as sports competitions, swing playing, throwing cones, tossing pao...

Mr. Le Huy Dan, Secretary of the Bai So village Youth Union, Tam Quang commune, shared that due to the hot weather, many of the youth activities of Bai So village had to be cut down. This year, only football matches were organized between teams. Also due to the hot weather, the executive committee of the youth union had to sit together to discuss the format and time of the matches between the teams so that it would be reasonable. “In previous years, we could organize the matches from 2 pm to 2:30 pm, but this year, we still couldn’t let the players compete until 4 pm because it was too hot. Also due to the hot weather, the games of swinging, tug of war, etc. had to be canceled.”

Mr. Lo Van Tham, head of Tung Huong village, Tam Quang commune, Tuong Duong district shared: "Today is only the 4th day of Tet but many people are already packing their things to go to work. On the day of the longevity celebration for the elderly, few people participated, partly because the weather was too hot."

Many people choose cool areas to cool off from the heat during Tet. Photo: Ho Phuong