Rush-hour downpour heavily floods Hanoi streets

Heavy showers and thunderstorms developed around 4:30 pm, rapidly darkening the skies and prompting all vehicles to switch on headlights.

The torrential rain persisted for over an hour, submerging many thoroughfares under as much as 50 centimeters of water.

As observed by reporters from Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, vehicles barely moved on a severely inundated section of Vo Chi Cong Street near Nhat Tan Bridge at around 5:30 pm.

At the junction of Hoang Quoc Viet and Pham Tan Tai Streets, waterlogging stalled traffic, while on Tran Binh Street, floodwaters rose to over 30 centimeters.

Multiple segments of Tong Dan Street experienced severe flooding, prompting drainage crews to pump out water and support road users.

On the stretch between Phan Boi Chau and Ly Thuong Kiet Streets, floodwaters reached near knee height at times—matching depths previously reported at this congested intersection.

Heavy flooding and traffic bottlenecks were also reported along Nguyen Khuyen, Dinh Tien Hoang, Pham Van Dong, Ho Tung Mau, and the Pham Hung–Mai Dich intersection.

At 6:00 pm, a representative from Hanoi Drainage Company informed Tuoi Tre that the agency had anticipated heavy rain and mobilized personnel and machinery to high-risk zones.

According to the National Center for HydroMeteorological Forecasting, Hanoi and surrounding northern provinces would face ongoing moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms through Thursday.

Total precipitation is expected to range from 70 to 150mm, with some areas potentially seeing more than 300mm.