According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the temperature at 1:00 p.m. on August 4 was generally 36 - 38 degrees Celsius, with some places above 38 degrees Celsius such as Hoa Binh station (Phu Tho) being 39.3 degrees Celsius.
Under the harsh sunlight, there are still people who work hard to make a living, attached to every street corner and tree base, regardless of the harsh weather.
At around 3:00 p.m. on August 4, under a small tree canopy on Tran Hung Dao Street, Mr. Thanh (56 years old) was sweating and whispering to get a haircut for customers. The old wooden table, a few plastic chairs, and small fans turning weakly could not extinguish the heat from the tunnel rising from the road.
"Every day, I sit from 8am to around 5pm. In such a hot weather, there are fewer customers, but they still have to leave because they have no income. Having worked outdoors for decades, I have gradually gotten used to it, I am only afraid of rain and the sun to survive," Mr. Thanh shared and carefully covered the hair of the customers.
According to Mr. Thanh, many people now like to go to shops with air conditioners, cooler and more amenities, but for him, the sidewalk has become a familiar place to hang around. Although there are fewer customers than before, there are still occasional acquaintances coming back, which is enough for him to keep his job.
On the other side of the road, opposite the old central bus station of Hoa Binh City, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh - a woman nearly 70 years old - every day regularly sets up a few plastic chairs, a few bottles of soft drinks, and some fresh coconuts for sale.
With no relatives around, her new son passed away, she lived alone in a small rented room. The harsh sunshine of nearly 40 degrees Celsius did not make Ms. Hanh rest a day. Taking water out in the morning and collecting it in the afternoon, carrying simple goods is the only source of income.
"Even when it is sunny, I have to try to sit and sell a few tens of thousands to make ends meet. There are empty meals, sitting from morning to afternoon, I can only sell a few cups of tea and a can of soft drinks. And sitting outdoors for a long time, an elderly person like me often gets dizzy," said Ms. Hanh.
What she hopes for most is the government to create conditions for the elderly like her to do small business, have stable seating, and not be chased away.
While many people are trying to avoid the sun at home, many freelance workers are still wandering around on the streets, earning a living every hour. Shipping workers, motorbike taxi drivers, street vendors... are still working hard to get into every street, carrying both food and clothing worries and endurance in the face of harsh nature.
It is forecasted that on August 5, in the Northern Delta and the south of Phu Tho province, there will be hot weather with the highest temperature commonly 35 - 36 degrees Celsius, some places above 36 degrees Celsius. The lowest relatively humidity is commonly 50 - 60%. From August 6, the heat will gradually subside.
