Vietnam typically encounters a tropical climate with annual average temperatures ranging from 22 to 27 degrees Celsius, VNExpress reported.

But the northern highlands have received frost and snow every winter in recent years.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the northern region would switch to dry cold weather from Tuesday.

American forecasting services provider AccuWeather said the lowest temperatures in Hanoi would hit 10 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and rise to 14 on Saturday. Temperatures in Sa Pa on Tuesday would be two to seven degrees Celsius and seven to 14 degrees Celsius over the weekend.

Vietnam has experienced a colder winter than usual this year as the Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature drops, forming the La Niña phenomenon, weather experts said. The country should expect up to 27 waves of cold air coming from the north this winter, a typical average.