Flooding from storm Kajiki paralyzes traffic in Hanoi

Storm Kajiki, the fifth storm to hit the East Vietnam Sea this year, made landfall in Nghe An and Ha Tinh Provinces in north-central Vietnam on Monday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds near the eye reaching level 12 (118-133 km/h), gusting to level 14-15.

According to the northern weather center, the storm's lingering circulation has brought moderate to heavy rain to Hanoi.

Some areas are experiencing extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms.

By 1:00 am on Tuesday, rainfall across the city had ranged between 70 and 210 mm.

Data from Hanoi Sewerage and Drainage Company’s automatic monitoring stations showed that as of 6:00 am, precipitation in several areas had reached up to 270 mm.

The persistent overnight downpour caused severe flooding on major streets, including Thang Long Boulevard, To Huu, Nguyen Tuan, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Xien, and Nghiem Xuan Yem.

At Pham Hung-Duy Tan Intersection, rainwater submerged car tires, while many motorbikes were forced onto sidewalks to avoid flood zones.

Several motorcycles stalled mid-journey, and commuters had to push their bikes through flooded streets.

Some cars also broke down, stranded in the middle of heavily congested streets.

The flooding struck during morning rush hour, causing chaos as workers rushed to reach their destinations.

Traffic on some arteries slowed to a crawl, while others had to reroute entirely.

At Cau Buou-Provincial Road 70 Intersection in Ha Dong Ward, flooding stretched for over 500 meters.

Similar scenes unfolded across the Xa La urban area and near Vietnam National Cancer Hospital, where deep water forced low-clearance vehicles to turn back.

Many motorcycles attempting to cross submerged areas stalled, forcing riders to push them to safety.

At 8:00 am, heavy rain was continuing, and floodwaters remained high on many streets.

Routes leading to Lac Long Quan Street remained deeply submerged, with motorcyclists struggling to wade through.

Drivers of high-clearance vehicles cautiously drove at steady speed with air-conditioning systems turned off to avoid engine failure.

The intersection between Lac Long Quan Street and An Duong Vuong Street was nearly impassable due to widespread flooding.

Meanwhile, traffic on Nhat Tan Bridge, especially the direction from Noi Bai International Airport toward the city center, was severely congested.

More rain expected, further flooding likely

Hanoi and its surrounding areas are forecast to continue experiencing moderate to heavy rain in the next three-six hours, with total accumulated precipitation likely reaching 30-50 mm.

Localized flooding is expected to continue, with depths ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 meters.

Flooding on certain streets could last from 20 to 40 minutes, possibly longer in low-lying areas.

Streets most at risk of further heavy flooding include Quan Nhan, Nguyen Tuan, Nguyen Trai, Vuong Thua Vu, Bui Xuong Trach, Trieu Khuc, and Tran Binh.