Widespread flooding disrupts traffic, business in Hanoi after heavy rain overnight

Rainfall has eased across Hanoi as 36 pumping stations operate at maximum capacity to drain standing water from the inner city, bringing gradual relief to several heavily inundated areas.

Parts in Phu Dien, Tu Liem, and Nghia Do that were submerged under 30 to 40 cm of water earlier this morning have cleared substantially, leaving behind only shallow surface pooling.

Water levels remain high in low-lying sections within the Nhue River basin, however, with key streets in Tay Mo and Xuan Phuong continuing to experience prolonged flooding.

Continuous downpours since Sept. 14 have overwhelmed Hanoi's drainage infrastructure, with cumulative rainfall surpassing 400 mm, and exceeding 500 mm in multiple sectors, according to a 9:00 a.m. report from the Hanoi Department of Construction.

The prolonged deluge has pushed sewers, drainage canals, regulating lakes, and discharge conduits to sustained high water levels, sharply curtailing the system's storage and regulating capacity.

Critical regional waterways have compounded the crisis, with the Nhue River and several surrounding tributaries breaching alarm levels. Across western and southwestern zones within the Nhue River basin, water levels reached 5.38 m at the Dong Bong 1 Pumping Station and 5.28 m at Ha Dong Bridge, severely throttling natural outflow and delaying water recession.

Because overall discharge relies directly on downstream river thresholds, incoming rainwater continues to outpace discharge rates, leaving numerous low-lying basin pockets submerged under slow-draining floodwaters.

Driven by a tropical depression interacting with an intertropical convergence zone, Hanoi has endured continuous, widespread downpours from Sept. 14 through 17.

Data from the Hanoi Department of Construction shows that as of 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, cumulative rainfall exceeded 400 mm across most monitored areas, with Yen So recording the highest accumulation at 570 mm, followed closely by Hai Ba Trung at 550 mm.

Other heavily impacted locations include Cau Giay with 439 mm, Thanh Liet with 435 mm, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam with 421 mm, Tu Liem with 414 mm, and Yen Nghia with 411 mm.

Heavy precipitation also blanketed O Cho Dua at 408 mm, Hoan Kiem at 404 mm, Tay Mo at 402 mm, and Hoang Mai at 401 mm, while Phu Thuong reached 383 mm.

Commuters still stranded as floodwaters approach half a meter on street

To Huu Street, connecting Tu Liem Ward with Ha Dong, remained deeply inundated to nearly half a meter toward midday, with standing water receding at an exceptionally slow pace.

Floodwaters spilled over sidewalks and adjacent feeder roads, forcing long streams of vehicles to wade through the deluge and creating widespread traffic chaos along the arterial route.

Severe flooding triggers traffic chaos for commuters traveling through the To Huu corridor. Photo by Pham Chieu

A passenger car plows through floodwaters that reach nearly to the top of its wheels. Photo by Pham Chieu

Motorbikes and cars wade through deep standing water along To Huu Street. Photo by Pham Chieu

Persistent heavy rain continues to submerge numerous areas, with standing water reaching depths of 30 to 40 cm along several sections of Tran Vy Street in Tu Liem Ward.

Vehicles struggled to navigate through the deep floodwaters as conditions remained hazardous across local routes throughout the morning.

Flooding along Doan Ke Thien Street outside the Vietnam Dance Academy at 10:00 a.m. Photo by Loc Chung

 

 

Widespread flooding disrupts traffic, business in Hanoi after heavy rain overnight

Ngập diện rộng khu vực Trần Vỹ

Continuous downpours from Wednesday night through Thursday morning submerged sections of Cau Coc Street in Tay Mo Ward under nearly a meter of water, forcing local residents to rely on boats to move around.

Located within the Nhue River basin on Hanoi's western periphery, the area frequently suffers from severe inundation due to an incomplete and uncoordinated drainage network.

Rising water levels inundated streets, prompting school closures for local students and disrupting daily life as residents used makeshift styrofoam containers and small boats to transport goods and buy groceries.

A woman floats goods in a styrofoam container while wading through floodwaters on Cau Coc Street. Photo by Hoang Giang

Students stay home from school as heavy downpours trigger severe local flooding. Photo by Hoang Giang

A resident rows a small boat down the deeply submerged street to pick up groceries for his family. Photo by Hoang Giang

Water levels exceeded half a meter on Cau Coc Street in Tay Mo Ward, spilling directly into residential homes and severely disrupting daily life across the neighborhood.

A series of roadside shops were forced to shut their doors, with residents and business owners scrambling to move belongings to higher ground. Despite staying up through the night to safeguard their inventory, several shopkeepers still saw goods submerged as the water rose.

Floodwaters exceed half a meter along Cau Coc Street in Tay Mo Ward. Photo by Hoang Giang

Storefront shops stand submerged along the flooded roadway. Photo by Hoang Giang

Water reaches elevated inventory inside a shop after residents stayed awake overnight attempting to protect their goods. Photo by Hoang Giang

Deep floodwaters on Cau Dien Street in Tay Tuu Ward have paralyzed traffic in both directions near the Nhon – Hanoi metro line, trapping long lines of vehicles across several kilometers heading to and from the city center.

Motorists along the National Highway 32 corridor crowded into elevated ground around the pillars of the metro line in an effort to bypass the submerged road surface.

Vehicles crowd the higher ground around elevated railway pillars along National Highway 32 as Cau Dien Street floods. Photo by The Bang

Motorcyclists remain stranded in pouring rain amid severe gridlock. Photo by The Bang

Hundreds of cars sit bumper-to-bumper in an extensive queue along the flooded corridor. Photo by The Bang

Streets surrounding the Nam An Khanh Urban Area in Tay Mo Ward remain 30 to 40 cm flooded, leaving numerous vehicles stranded in water.

Despite the situation, local educators pressed through the deluge to keep classrooms open. Thu Huyen and Thu Phuong, preschool teachers in the urban area who arrived at 6:45 a.m., noted that they made every effort to traverse the heavy rain and flooded corridors to receive students so parents could still report to work.

A tow truck assists a stalled car along a submerged street in Tay Mo Ward. Photo by Hoang Giang

Floodwaters pool deeply across a section of the Nam An Khanh Urban Area. Photo by Hoang Giang

Preschool teachers Thu Huyen and Thu Phuong navigate the rain to welcome students to class in the Nam An Khanh Urban Area. Photo by Hoang Giang

Convective storm clouds are actively expanding across Hanoi, bringing showers and severe thunderstorms to wide areas of the city over the next three hours, according to an 8:50 a.m. bulletin from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Satellite, radar, and lightning tracking indicate the storm front is initially striking eastern, southern, and western districts—including Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Mai, Long Bien, Tu Liem, and My Duc—before spreading into central and western sectors such as Dong Da, Thanh Xuan, Thach That, and Son Tay.

Authorities advise residents across affected areas to brace for dangerous convective phenomena, including tornadoes, lightning, strong wind gusts, and possible hail.