Experts from the Central Hydro-meteorological Forecast Centre said that on May 31 a widespread hot spell affected the north and central provinces of the country, from Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen, with the highest temperature ranging from 35 to 37 degrees Celsius. Last Saturday, there were 29 points in the North and the Central region where the temperature had climbed to over 40 degrees Celsius. In the capital city of Hanoi, temperatures reached 42 degrees Celsius. As forecasted, the hot spell will start receding on June 6th. The Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention recommends the close monitoring of the weather.