February may have 3-4 cold spells.

In February 2015, it was predicted that there would likely be 3-4 cold fronts (including intensifications) causing strong winds in the South China Sea.

In addition, according to the Central Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting Center, there is a possibility of one period of intense cold in the northern provinces during the first half of the month, but it will not last long (about 2-4 days).

Illustrative photo: VNA

From the latter half of the month, temperatures tend to gradually increase and be higher than the multi-year average. During this period, there will be little rain nationwide, and localized drought conditions are likely to occur in some areas, especially in the Central Highlands and Southern Vietnam.

In Northern Vietnam, the average monthly temperature is generally close to the multi-year average for the same period, with a standard deviation of -0.5 to 0.5 degrees Celsius compared to the multi-year average for the same period.

Central provinces generally experience temperatures slightly below the multi-year average, with monthly average temperature deviations ranging from 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius lower.

The Central Highlands and Southern provinces generally experienced temperatures slightly below the multi-year average for the same period, with the standard deviation of average monthly temperatures commonly lower by 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius.

Rainfall in Northern Vietnam is generally slightly below the multi-year average, with monthly rainfall standard deviations ranging from 20 to 40% lower.

The coastal provinces of Central Vietnam generally experienced rainfall slightly below the multi-year average for the same period, with rainfall 20% to 40% lower. The Central Highlands and Southern regions generally received little rain; the total monthly rainfall in these areas was typically below 10mm.

In February, water levels on rivers in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands changed slowly and tended to decrease. The average monthly flow on major rivers in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands was 40-60% lower than the multi-year average for the same period, with the flow on the Cai Nha Trang River at Dong Trang being significantly lower (-90%); however, the flow on the Thu Bon River at Nong Son was about 55% higher than the multi-year average for the same period.

Water levels in the upstream areas of the Mekong River and other rivers in Southern Vietnam were affected by a high tide in the latter half of the month. The highest water levels of the month on the Tien River at Tan Chau were 1.56m, and on the Hau River at Chau Doc were 1.62m, higher than the average for the same period in previous years by about 0.26-0.34m; the lowest water levels were at Tan Chau: 0.02m, and at Chau Doc: -0.05m, lower than the average for the same period in previous years by about 0.2-0.28m.

The highest salinity levels at the monitoring stations this month will occur around February 20-22 and are likely to penetrate further inland than in January 2015. Over the next month, the water level of the Dong Nai River will change slowly.

According to VNA