It's cold in northern Vietnam, very cold, and forecasters say it will stay that way in the lead up to the Tet Lunar New Year, with farmers hardest hit as livestock drops dead and crops freeze, and the homeless are largely left to suffer.

Another severe cold spell to hit northern region 

The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting predicts for February 2-7, temperatures will sink to 13C in low lying areas, and 2C in the mountains. That follows a week-long harsh cold snap that saw snowfalls just 50km from the capital.

Rain will add to the discomfort, with strong winds expected in coastal northern localities.

The cold, breaking decades old records, has so far killed some 12,000 cattle, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Crops have frozen and died. The number of human casualties is not known.

Reports say Hanoi's homeless are struggling to ride out the freezing nights, huddling around trash-can fires to stay warm. Electricity demand is heavy, as is the demand for heaters, with stores running low on supply, but the city battles on ahead of the nine-day Tet holiday, beginning February 8.

For expatriates, the high 20s of Da Nang and HCM City look very attractive.