Ho Chi Minh City braces for continued heavy rain and flooding amid high tides
Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces will face continued heavy downpours through Friday, exacerbating flood risks as the severe weather collides with rising high tides.
Ho Chi Minh City braces for more heavy rain and flooding as high tides hit the region. Rainfall is expected to total between 70 and 100 millimeters from Wednesday morning to 1 p.m. on Friday, with some areas receiving over 150 mm. The city is enduring a five-day stretch of heavy rain since the week began, with many spots getting over 100 mm in just two days.
The heaviest rain fell in the former Nha Be District, which saw 249 mm. Meteorologists say the downpours result from the intertropical convergence zone meeting a low-pressure system moving inland from the sea.
On Wednesday morning, a sudden, intense 30-minute downpour struck key areas, badly disrupting morning traffic and school drop-offs. This rush-hour storm hit the central business district, Binh Thanh District, and Thu Duc City. Across the southern region, forecasters predict 40 to 80 mm of rain from Wednesday morning through the night, with localized peaks exceeding 150 mm. Thursday's forecast calls for 30 to 70 mm, though some spots could see over 100 mm.
High tides coinciding with the full-moon period this week are exacerbating the flooding threat. At the Thu Dau Mot station near the city's eastern edge, water levels are expected to breach the third warning level for four straight days starting Thursday. This dangerous mix of torrential rain and rising tides heightens the risk of flooding in low-lying neighborhoods and could cause severe traffic jams in the evenings.
Authorities have issued flood warnings for urban areas, industrial zones, and coastal lowlands. They advise residents to stay alert for lightning, strong wind gusts, and possible tornadoes within the storm cells.
Recent torrential rains have already flooded crucial city infrastructure. The Ba Son Bridge, Hanoi Highway, Thu Duc Market, and major roads like Nguyen Van Linh and Le Van Luong streets are submerged under half a meter of water, causing dozens of vehicles to stall. Sloped roads have seen fast-moving runoff sweep motorcyclists off their bikes and severely impede traffic.
Earlier this week, evening rush-hour storms triggered massive gridlock, trapping commuters in traffic for up to two hours on key city streets and around the Hang Xanh Roundabout.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
