Downpour plunges Hanoi underwater, again

The flood-prone intersection of Pham Hung, Me Tri and Duong Dinh Nghe streets was under more than half a meter of water. Many vehicles passing through the area stalled, causing severe traffic jams.

A section on Hanoi's Duong Dinh Nghe Street is inundated after a downpour on June 13, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu

Hoang Cong Hoan said he was going from Duong Dinh Nghe to Pham Hung when water caused his motorbike engine to die. The water was deep enough to cover the wheels, he said.

"I had to wait for the water to recede to find a repair shop."

A kilometer away on Chau Van Liem Street, the water was around 60 cm deep.

Many people took a detour around Phu Do village to avoid the flooded section.

In Cau Giay District, Phan Van Truong Street was under 50 cm of water while others like Cau Giay, Xuan Thuy and Ho Tung Mau saw over 30 cm of flooding.

Downtown areas in Hoan Kiem District like Dinh Tien Hoang, Ly Thai To, Ly Thuong Kiet, and Phan Boi Chau streets were also inundated. The section of Ly Thai To near the Hanoi Post Office was about 40 cm under water.

Motorbikes ride on a flooded street outside Trang Tien Plaza in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem District, June 13, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

On the Phap Van-Cau Gie highway, several trees were uprooted by the wind. Traffic police officers were dispatched to clear them up and unblock roads.

Between 7:40 p.m. and 9 p.m. Cau Giay District recorded rainfall of 150 mm followed by Dong Da District with 100 mm, Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Nam Tu Liem, and Tay Ho with 80-90 mm, and Thanh Xuan and Ba Dinh with 70 mm.

The downpour was the result of a low-pressure area, and further rains are expected on Tuesday, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Subsequently the rainfall would be limited to mountainous regions and the northern midlands.

On May 29 Cau Giay District received record rainfall of over 170 mm in just two hours, while other districts recorded 100-150 mm.

That broke the previous record set in 1986 by around 6 mm, the weather bureau said.