A: First on our show today, we’d like to say hello to M Saleen Akhtar of Pakistan. Listening to our program on June 27, he wrote: “Greetings from Pakistan. I’m a new listener to the Voice of Vietnam English Service. Today I visit your website and collected a lot of information about Vietnam. In Pakistan the weather is very hot. Tell me about Vietnam’s weather. How many seasons are there in Vietnam?”

Since late June, the weather in Hanoi has become boiling hot

B: Thank you, Saleen, for tuning in to our program and visiting our website. Vietnam has been extremely hot lately and the swearing heatwave has become a frequent topic of discussion over the past few days. According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting (NCHMF), the severe heat wave that has scorched the northern and central region since last weekend is predicted to end on Friday, but until then localities will continue to suffer in high temperatures of 38-40 degrees Celsius.

A: Some areas in the northwestern and northeastern regions are forecast to see rain showers and thunderstorms in the afternoons and evenings. Hanoi will have extremely hot days without rain, with humidity between 42 and 82 percent. The lowest temperature of the day will be 30 degree Celsius, rising to a high of 40 degrees.

Due to hot weather, nobody wants to go out

B: That’s the official temperature, but in the middle of the day certain places in Hanoi might reach 50 degrees Celsius. One sport measured 54 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

B: Due to wide differences in latitude and topography, Vietnam's climate differs greatly from one region to another. Vietnam has two distinct monsoon seasons. The southwest monsoon brings wet, humid weather to the south while the northeast monsoon delivers drizzly, colder temperatures to the north.

A: Vietnam’s northern region has four seasons. During the winter months from December to February, the temperature may dip down to 5DC occasionally, even below zero in the mountains. The summer months of June and July are hot, with daytime temperatures reaching 37 DC or more. Due to climate change, unusual hot spells have been more frequent in recent years. Drizzling rains and more tolerable temperatures come in the autumn from August to November, and in the spring from March to April. October and November are the best months to visit since you avoid the domestic tourist flow and also experience more comfortable temperatures and humidity compared with other months. 

Sun-resistant clothes are popular

B: Vietnam’s central region has hot temperatures all year round, with the hottest months in the middle of the year. The weather from November to April is a bit cooler and drier. Closer to the beach, the level of severity is reduced and the dry wind is replaced by cool ocean breezes.  Central Vietnam is also the most susceptible to natural disasters such as typhoon or flooding. The paradox is, it is also where the most beautiful beaches are.  

B: Southern Vietnam is typically hot all year round with two main seasons: rainy and dry. It is also the most predictable region in terms of weather. The dry season comes from November to April and the wet season from May to October. Summer months from May to August might not be the best time to come since most attractions are packed with tourists while downpours occur quite frequently

A: In summer months from May to August, the capital city Hanoi is very hot with temperatures averaging 32 DC. July is the hottest month when temperatures hover around 38DC. With global warming becoming an increasingly serious problem, summers are now hotter with higher humidity. Heavy rain is a feature of Hanoi’s summer.

B: The mountain areas in northwest and south central Vietnam see little fluctuation in weather. It is fairly cool all year round and a great place to escape the heat of the cities. The rainy season here is also from May to September. At the extreme you occasionally see snow flurries in December or January in Sapa.  

A: This week, we received an email from Heimer Sia of the Philippines for the first time. Heimer listened to our broadcast from 11:30 to 12:00 on June 27 on the frequency of 12020 khz. He wrote: “I was absent from shortwave for a few months when the broadcast schedule changed. When I got back to shortwave, I tried listening to Voice of Vietnam but was disappointed that I could not get your signal. This kept happening until one day when I changed my receiver and bingo, I got the signal. I enjoyed today’s program and hope to hear some of your other programs especially the music programs.”

B: Thank you, Mr. Heimer Sia, for tuning in to our broadcast. We’ll send you a QSL card to confirm your report. Our program is also available online now at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Check out our VOV Media App, available on both IOS and Android platforms to hear live broadcasts.

A: Siddhartha Bhattacharjee of India listened to our broadcast on June 27 from 16:00 to 16:30 UTC on the frequency of 7220 khz and rated SINPO all 4s. This week he asked about Vietnam’s family planning programs.

Vietnamese people

B:  Population planning is an important part of Vietnam’s development strategy. Vietnam has worked closely with the UN Fund for Population on population and family planning programs. Since Vietnam won the United Nations Population Award in 1999, it has made a concerted effort to stabilise its population.

A: Vietnam still faces a number of challenges including a growing population, rapid population ageing, and high gender imbalance.

B: According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, Vietnam had a high birth rate (more than five children per couple) in 1970, but that figure fell sharply to 2.09 in 2016.  The percentage of people using contraceptive methods rose to 67 percent in 2016 from 37 percent in 1988. Meanwhile, the maternal mortality rate showed a rapid decline, from 233 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 58.3 per 100,000 live births in 2016.

A: Listening to our Sunday Show on July 2, Richard Nowak of the US commented: “The Sunday Show on wedding rituals was fascinating and delivered  great insights into the culture of the region. I enjoyed the show. The news was informative and the Sunday show was educational and most interesting. Thanks for the show and your support of shortwave.”

B: Thank you, Richard, for your frequent report. Listening to our report on foodbank project in Vietnam which was launched by the Vietnam Red Cross Society to prevent food wastefulness and support the poor, Jim Wasson wrote: “My wife and I would like to help hungry children in Ho Chi Minh city by setting up a soup kitchen. Is this needed, feasible, and a good idea? Target date for set up is 2019 ! We will be self funding to start.”

A: We think it’s a great idea. You can help not only children but also poor patients and other disadvantaged people. We don’t know where you are, in Vietnam or overseas. But your support is highly appreciated. Next, we’d like to acknowledge letters and emails from Shyamal Kumar Banerjee, Dilipkumar Sarkar, and Shivendu Paul of India. We’ll confirm your reports with QSL cards soon.

A: We welcome your feedback at: English Section, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs. Check out our VOV Media App available on both IOS and Android platforms to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Good bye until next time.