From the evening of May 17 through the night of May 18, Northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa will experience the most intense rainfall of the current wave, with some areas expected to receive more than 150mm of rain.

Rainfall will gradually subside afterward, giving way to sunny conditions before another rain event arrives around May 22.

Today (May 16), scattered showers and thunderstorms affected the northern region, with some localities experiencing heavy downpours.

Rainfall from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. exceeded 60mm in several places, such as Dong Tam (Ha Giang) with 69mm and Na Hang (Tuyen Quang) with 81mm.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected across Northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa between the evening of May 17 and the night of May 18.

Mountainous and midland areas of the North may see 40–90mm of rain, with some locations receiving over 150mm. In provinces like Son La, Hoa Binh, the northern plains, and Thanh Hoa, rainfall is forecast at 30–60mm, with some areas exceeding 80mm.

The weather agency warns of intense localized downpours exceeding 80mm within a three-hour window.

From this evening through May 17, Northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa will continue to see scattered showers and thunderstorms. Localized rainfall may reach 10–30mm, with isolated areas surpassing 60mm, mainly occurring in the evenings, at night, and in the early mornings.

Northwestern and Northeastern provinces are expected to receive 20–40mm of rain, with some places getting over 80mm.

From May 19 onward, heavy rainfall in Northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa is projected to gradually diminish.

Another rain spell expected from May 22

Looking ahead, forecasters anticipate that rain will return to Northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa between May 22 and 26, with locally heavy to very heavy rainfall.

In the North Central region, widespread hot weather may occur between May 20 and 21, followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms around May 22–25.

In the Central and South Central regions, conditions will remain sunny during the day with possible localized heat, while the northern part of this zone may experience widespread hot weather around May 20–21. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected in the evenings and at night.

In the Central Highlands and Southern Vietnam, sporadic showers and thunderstorms will persist. From May 20 to 26, the region is expected to experience more frequent afternoon and evening rains and thunderstorms.

Meteorologists emphasize that this is a transitional period between seasons, so thunderstorms may bring extreme weather such as lightning, hail, strong gusts, and whirlwinds. Heavy rain may lead to flash floods in mountainous areas, landslides on steep slopes, and urban flooding in low-lying zones and industrial parks.

Authorities and residents are advised to stay alert and take precautions against extreme weather events.

Bao Anh