Authorities in Vietnam cut down on street lights to save energy
Power cuts in Hanoi
In Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, street lights are being turned on 30 minutes later and turned off 30 minutes earlier than usual. Half the street lights along some major thoroughfares and in public parks have been completely turned off.
Measures to save power
In a statement given by the ministry of industry and trade said energy-saving on the measures implied to keep the national power grid running, the ministry stated that the power cuts would allow power to be conserved for domestic use and for the country’s crucial manufacturing sector.
Dim the outdoor lighting!
Office buildings and shopping malls in cities, including the tourist hotspot Da Nang, have also been asked to halve the energy use of their outdoor lighting systems. Residents are being urged by the government to use air conditioning only when necessary and to turn off electronics that are not in use. Authorities have also asked resident to keep the temperature of the AC above 26 °C (78.8°F).
People resort to different measures
While the temperature has been hitting the roof, residents of Vietnam are deploying different measures to deal with the heat. While some are heading to water parks, others are taking on a sidewalk or under a pedestrian bridge.
Hottest summer in decades!
The rise in temperature this year has broken all previous records, with Vietnam recording 44.1C earlier this month at Tuong Duong in Nghệ An province.
Worst heat wave in years
On the heat wave which has been affecting Asia, Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist and weather historian stated that in terms of its intensity of temperatures, its geographical spread and the length of time it has lasted, this heat wave was “arguably the worst tropical heat wave in world climatic history”
Extreme temperatures might result in drought like conditions
The extremely high temperatures recorded across Asia this year have prompted fears about a possible drought conditions. It has also resulted in several schools being shut down across Asia. The Philippines permitted schools in Quezon City to shorten their hours due to the extreme heat in May, while in April at least two states in India ordered schools to close for a week. In May, Malaysia permitted children to wear casual clothing instead of school uniforms due to the hot weather and halted all outdoor activities.
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