HANOI (AFP) – Hanoi residents flocked to the Vietnamese capital’s air-conditioned shopping malls yesterday to escape power cuts at home, as the grid struggled to cope with the high demand caused by soaring heat.
Vietnam is one of many countries across South and Southeast Asia experiencing record-high temperatures in recent weeks.
As the temperature rose to 36 degrees Celsius, Bui Manh Duc Tai and his napping girlfriend were among those at the Aeon shopping mall trying to escape the blistering heat.
“Our home was without power since this morning. We came here for some cool air,” Tai told AFP. In another corner, student Nguyen Minh Thu sat on the floor trying to finish an assignment on her laptop.
“I had to come here for power so I could study,” the agriculture student said, adding the electricity at her home had been on and off all morning.
Scientists have warned that global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events around the world, including heat waves.
Drought and heatwaves have put a lot of pressure on power supplies in the country’s north, according to Vietnam Electricity.
