Temperatures in Ho Chi Minh City and some other southern provinceshave dropped significantly following unseasonable rains in recent days,but heat waves are forecast to return this weekend due to a hot spellfrom the west, The Saigon Times Daily reported.

According to thesouthern hydro-meteorological centre, the highest temperature in thecity reached 34-35 degree Celsius in early this week, and it may rain inthe city and other parts of the southern region.

Meteorologist Le Thi Xuan Lan told the Daily that the rainy season wouldnot start until the middle of next month despite unexpected rains whichhelped ease severe drought in the southern and Central Highlandsregions.

The national centre forhydro-meteorological forecasting said water levels in rivers and streamsin the Central Highlands have continued falling against previous weekswhile some small springs in Ninh Thuan province have dried up.

The centre predicted water levels of rivers in the north-centralprovinces of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa will continue to drop further withsome reaching new record lows.

Water flows of majorrivers in the central and the Central Highlands regions such as Cai inNha Rang, Thu Bon and Ba will be around 30-50 percent lower than theaverage levels of recent years.

Nguyen Minh Giam,deputy director of the southern regional hydro-meteorological centre,said as now to May is the transition period between the dry and rainyseasons in the south, there could be whirlwinds and unexpectedtorrential rain.-VNA