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At 6 a.m. on May 26, Thu Hang, 35, left her home in Tay Mo Ward with her child nearly an hour earlier than usual.

“I checked the forecast last night and knew today would be the peak of the heatwave, so I had my child go to bed at 9 p.m. to leave earlier this morning,” she said.

She had earlier felt the severity of the scorching weather during the weekend. At noon on Sunday, after stepping out of a parent-teacher meeting into the schoolyard, she felt dizzy and her vision blurred.

But her plan only worked partially since the sun was already beating down, and by 6:45 a.m., her child’s elementary school in Yen Hoa Ward was crowded with students and parents though classes would only start almost an hour later. She arrived at work at 7 a.m.

“Five out of seven people in my office came more than an hour early today, something that has never happened before,” she said.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, northern and north-central Vietnam are experiencing the a severe and widespread heatwave.

On May 25, Hanoi recorded 40.7 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature in the country. That day, eight provinces and cities in the Red River Delta and central Vietnam also saw temperatures exceed 40 degrees. Forecasters have warned the heatwave will continue for at least another 48 hours.

In Hanoi, the stifling conditions are worsened by the urban “heat island effect,” with concrete surfaces and asphalt roads absorbing solar radiation, and high-rise buildings blocking airflow, make it difficult for the heat to dissipate. The trapped heat is further intensified by traffic emissions and heat from air conditioners.

As a result, actual surface temperatures radiating from roads at midday can exceed 50 degrees. The extreme heat and harsh sunlight have forced people to adjust their daily schedules. At parks such as Thong Nhat Park and Thanh Xuan Park, people virtually finish exercising by 6 a.m. now, as against the usual 7 or 8 a.m.

People waiting at a red light at a crossroads on Dao Tan Street at 8:45 a.m. on May 25. Photo by Read

Many people have also started commuting earlier to avoid the time when roads begin radiating intense heat.

Minh Nhat, 37, of Nghia Do Ward, leaves for work at 6 a.m. He said Hoang Quoc Viet Street leading toward the central Hoan Kiem Ward usually becomes congested at around 7 a.m., but on May 25 traffic was already heavy by 6:30 a.m.

After arriving at the office by 7 a.m., Nhat and many of his colleagues had time to take a short nap after breakfast before starting work at 8 a.m.

Market vendors in Hanoi have also advanced their schedules. Quoc Cuong, 65, and his wife go to the wholesale market to buy chickens at 2 a.m. rather than the usual 4 a.m., and shut their stall by 9 a.m. instead of noon.

At wet markets, people begin buying food at 5:30 a.m. Hoang Van Hoat, a meat vendor at Co Nhue Market in Dong Ngac Ward, said customers start flocking in at 5 a.m. Due to the weather, sales have declined, and his family now now slaughters only one pig instead of two each day.

“People come to the market earlier now, and so my wife and I pack up and head home by 9 a.m ,” said the vendor.

Health authorities have repeatedly warned people to minimize outdoor activities between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., stay hydrated, and avoid sudden temperature changes to reduce the risk of exhaustion, heatstroke and stroke.