In the last days of May, Hanoi continuously recorded high temperatures, at times the outdoor temperature reached nearly 40 degrees Celsius.
In the hot weather, many freelancers still have to stick to the streets, trying to work to maintain income and cover living expenses.
At a car repair shop in Hanoi City, Mr. Nguyen Van Dai (the shop owner) is still diligently working in the scorching heat from the road surface. Sweat continuously flowing down his face, he takes advantage of drinking water after many hours of continuous car repair under the sun.
On days like these, I have to drink a lot of water to endure it. Some days working outdoors for too long, I get dizzy, lightheaded and exhausted from heatstroke," Mr. Dai shared.
To maintain strength on hot sunny days, in addition to preparing drinking water, he also brings fruits, drinks and snacks to replenish energy while working.
There are days when there are many customers, I work continuously from morning to afternoon, almost no time to rest. Standing outdoors for a long time, the heat from the road surface and motorbikes rising makes people always feeling stuffy and much more tired than usual. I just hope for a rain, the weather will calm down so that work is less tiring," Mr. Dai said.
Not only car repairmen, delivery drivers are also struggling with the intense heat every day. On many streets in Hanoi, the image of stopping cars under the shade of trees to rest temporarily has become familiar during peak sunny days.
Mr. Lo Van Vinh - a delivery staff in Hanoi - said that on average, he has to work about 8 hours a day on the street.
Many times standing on the street for too long, I feel like I can't breathe because of the heat. But because of making a living, I still have to try to adapt, hoping the weather will be less harsh for workers like us," Mr. Vinh said.
To avoid the harshest sunny hours of the day, he often takes advantage of resting under trees or shady areas before continuing to move to deliver goods.
Meanwhile, Ms. Tran Thi Hoa - an environmental sanitation worker in Hanoi - said that the job of sweeping outdoors under high temperatures makes her lose strength faster than usual.
“Some days, after only working for a while, I feel hot and constantly sweating. Although very tired, the work still has to be completed, so I only know to take a short break and continue working,” Ms. Hoa shared.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, due to the influence of the southeast edge of the hot low pressure area developing and expanding southeast, today May 24 and tomorrow May 25, Hanoi city will be extremely hot and especially intensely sunny.
The meteorological agency forecasts that the intense heat wave in Hanoi is likely to last until May 27, and the heat wave will gradually subside on May 28.
People are advised to limit going out during peak sun hours from 10 am to 4 pm, supplement enough water for the body and use necessary sun protection measures to limit the risk of heatstroke and heat shock. For outdoor workers, it is necessary to arrange reasonable rest time, avoid working continuously under high temperatures for a long time.
