"Hot beyond words"
According to Thanh Nien on May 17, inside the makeshift tents covered with tarpaulins in Duong Noi Ward (Ha Dong District, Hanoi) - one of the areas with the highest concentration of laborers and construction workers in Hanoi, the temperature seemed to be unchanged from outside. To avoid the heat, the people inside had to constantly use wet towels to wipe their faces, limbs. No one could sleep all afternoon because of the heat.
Construction workers living in makeshift camps are sleepless due to the heat.
Ms. Phung Thi Yen (58 years old, from Phu Yen district, Son La province) said that on normal days, her hut has about 13-14 people living there; however, due to the hot weather, there are only 3-4 people left in the hut. Some people spread out to a house under construction nearby to avoid the sun. "We are women, so we stay here, occasionally eating and drinking. It's very hot in this house, but we have to endure it, what can we do?" Ms. Yen said.
The woman from Son La confided that although she worked all year round in her hometown, she only relied on rice fields and livestock, so life was difficult. Seven years ago, when her youngest daughter entered university, she also started going to Hanoi to work as a construction worker. When her daughter finished school and graduated, partly because she was used to it and partly because there was no job in her hometown, she decided to stay in the capital to earn more income.
"Every day, I earn about 300,000 VND, enough to cover my living expenses. The heat in Hanoi is very uncomfortable these days. It's as hot as an oven in the camp, and I can't sleep at night. It's hard work, but I have to try to make a living," said Ms. Yen.
Not far from Ms. Yen's hut is the hut of Mr. Lang Van Quy (29 years old, from Nghia Dan district, Nghe An province). This hut usually has 5 people living there, but the noon sun was so hot that 4 people decided to evacuate outside, looking for shady trees to rest. Mr. Quy hid under the bed to avoid the heat and look after his belongings.
This man shared that he has been working in construction for more than 10 years, and is used to the sunny, windy, rainy, cold, and makeshift environment. However, in temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius, he cannot sleep after working hard.
According to Mr. Quy, on hot days, he usually starts work from 6am to 10:30am; in the afternoon, from 3pm to 7pm. "Outside the construction site, the heat is very tiring, and even when I get back to the shed, the heat is unbearable. There is a fan but I don't dare turn it on, because it only blows hot air in. The heat is so bad, I have to spread out a mat and crawl under the bed to watch my phone all afternoon. The heat is beyond description. But when my wife and children call, I don't dare share my difficulties because I'm afraid they'll worry," Mr. Quy said.
Even the healthy can't stand it, let alone the sick.
At the "dialysis village" in lane 121 Le Thanh Nghi street (Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi), there are currently 121 patients living. Many patients here try to stay in the capital by doing jobs such as selling iced tea, selling porridge..., working and getting treatment at the same time.
Ms. Dang Thi Xiem (28 years old, from Nam Dinh) shared that, having lived in the "dialysis village" for 7 years now, the hot weather in Hanoi is still a fear for her. On many hot days, unable to sleep at home, she had to take a nap at the hospital after treatment. Talking about her experience in fighting the heat during harsh weather, Ms. Xiem said that there is always a basin of water and towels in the room, and she also bought a mist sprayer to make the room cooler. "On hot days in Hanoi, 38 - 39 degrees Celsius, to be able to rest in the room, I have to get up every 15 - 30 minutes to wipe myself; in addition, I also use water to splash on the roof and walls of the rented room to reduce the temperature," Ms. Xiem said.
Not far from Ms. Xiem's room is the room of Ms. Vu Thi Ngát (67 years old, from Nam Dinh). Eight years ago, she came from her hometown to Hanoi to take care of her sick husband and rented a small room, temporarily living in the "dialysis neighborhood". Recently, the eldest son also took the opportunity to help his mother take care of his father. In a room of less than 10 square meters, 3 people struggled to cope with the heat. Ms. Ngát said that because the room was small and 3 people lived in it, it was very stuffy. "This weather is really torture, I am healthy but I cannot stand it, let alone people who are sick," Ms. Ngát said.
Mr. Mai Anh Tuan (47 years old, from Ba Vi district, Hanoi), who is considered the village chief, said that the "dialysis village" has 121 patients, most of whom are in difficult circumstances. "The hot season is a nightmare for our boarding house, the rooms are no different from ovens, many people cannot sleep at night and have to go out to talk all night," said Mr. Tuan.
According to the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), high temperatures and long periods of hot weather create favorable conditions for viruses, bacteria, and disease-causing insects to grow and thrive. Diseases that are easily contracted due to hot weather include respiratory diseases (pneumonia, sore throat, viral fever, etc.). In addition, failure to ensure food hygiene and safety is the cause of diseases related to the digestive tract (diarrhea). Hot weather is also the cause of increased cerebrovascular accidents, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, and even sudden death. In particular, ultraviolet rays from sunlight can lead to skin cancer. Heatstroke, exhaustion, dehydration, cramps, etc. can also occur due to hot weather.
To minimize the harmful effects of heat on health, the Department of Preventive Medicine recommends that people should increase the application of heat protection measures such as: drinking plenty of water; wearing cool clothes; keeping the house well-ventilated; avoiding sunlight; eating cooked food and drinking boiled water; cleaning the nose and throat daily with salt water...
Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of Weather Forecasting Department (National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting), said that there is a widespread heat wave in the North and Central regions that has lasted the longest since the beginning of the year.
In the Northern region and the Central provinces, the peak of the heat wave is concentrated on May 17 and May 21-23. In particular, the mountainous areas in the west of the Central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Ngai are the most severely hot, with common temperatures from 38 - 39 degrees Celsius, some places over 40 degrees Celsius. The forecast temperature in the heat wave bulletins is the temperature measured in the meteorological tent. The actual, outdoor temperature can differ from 2 - 4 degrees Celsius, or even higher depending on the conditions of the surface such as concrete and asphalt.
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