Hanoians donned extra jackets and lit bonfires as the temperature plummeted to 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. 

People walk around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake on Tuesday morning well protected from the biting cold.

A very strong cold front has caused the mercury to fall in northern provinces and Hanoi.

Nguyen Van Huong, head of the Weather Forecasting Department at the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting, said this was the first major cold wave in the north in winter 2020-21.

A well-covered couple on their morning walk around Hoan Kiem Lake.

A group of people clad in several layers for warmth walk in the Hoan Kiem pedestrian zone, a popular tourist spot.

On a street in Long Bien District, people gather around a bonfire to keep warm.

A man warms his hands on a fire in Long Bien District.

Motorbike drivers wear masks, hats, mufflers, and coats on Long Bien Bridge, where windchill is pronounced.

Luong Thi Tuyen of Bac Tu Liem District puts on gloves for her children.

The National Meteorological Forecasting Center expects the cold front to continue freezing Hanoi and northern provinces on Wednesday, with temperatures in the capital falling to 10 degrees Celsius.

The northern mountains are receiving snowfall.