The downpour began around 5:00 pm, swamping major roads such as Ten Lua, Sinco, and Ho Hoc Lam.

By 6:00 pm, floodwaters on Ten Lua Street in An Lac Ward had risen above motorbike wheels, hitting hardest during the evening rush hour. 

Countless motorbikes broke down, forcing people to push their vehicles through murky, rising water.

"Floodwaters reached my knees, making it very difficult to move. Even though this is the center of the Binh Tan area, every time it rains heavily, the streets turn into rivers," said Vuong, a shop owner on Ten Lua Street.

He added that the flooding not only disrupts traffic but also hurts his business, as customers avoid the area and residents scramble to protect their homes.

At Thu Duc Market on Vo Van Ngan Street, heavy rain during rush hour triggered severe traffic congestion. 

Long lines of vehicles tried to squeeze past one another, while buses from both directions became stuck in gridlock.

Some commuters took shelter in roadside cafés to wait out the rain, while others detoured through narrow alleys to avoid the worst flooded areas.

Elsewhere in the city's western areas, the downpour caused localized traffic jams as residents struggled to navigate waterlogged roads.

The Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center has forecast more heavy rain across southern Vietnam over the next two days, with rainfall expected to total between 50 and 100 millimeters, and some areas likely to exceed that. 

Low-lying neighborhoods remain at high risk of flooding.