Thursday, October 1, 2026, 20:03 GMT+7

Heavy rain, strong winds sweep Ho Chi Minh City, turning skies dark

Ho Chi Minh City was battered by heavy downpours, strong winds, thunder and lightning on Thursday afternoon. Worse still, the city faces several more days of late-afternoon downpours, with rainfall expected to intensify early next week.

At around 5:00 pm, powerful convective clouds developed rapidly over multiple areas in the southern metropolis, causing the sky to darken within a short time.

Heavy showers followed, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

On streets, including Pham Van Dong, To Ngoc Van, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Phan Huy Ich, heavy rain forced motorists and motorcyclists to slow down.

Water began accumulating in some areas, making travel more difficult.

Meteorologists attributed the stormy conditions to the interaction of several weather systems with different characteristics.

Weak easterly wind disturbances also contributed to the unstable conditions over the city.

According to the southern weather center, a low-pressure trough centered around 24-27 degrees north latitude is expected to be compressed and gradually shift southward over the next 24 to 48 hours, local media reported.

The southwest monsoon will remain weak, while a subtropical high-pressure system with an axis extending across northern Vietnam is expected to remain stable.

The upper-level easterly wind disturbance is also forecast to weaken.

Ho Chi Minh City is likely to continue experiencing heavy rain in the late afternoons and evenings over the coming days, with rainfall expected to increase in both coverage and intensity on October 5 and 6.

Heavy rain might flood several low-lying areas.

Rainfall is forecast to be concentrated in the former Go Vap, Cu Chi, Hoc Mon and District 12 areas.

Parts of the city center could see locally heavy rain on Friday.