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In the morning dark clouds covered most parts of the city, and it rained in districts 1, 4, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, 12, and Hoc Mon.
The rain, lasting around five minutes, caught many by surprise.
Some motorcyclists who did not have raincoats had to seek shelter under awnings, disrupting their morning routines and commute to work or school.
By 8 a.m. the rain had stopped, but the overcast conditions continued, leading to drops in temperature of 3-4 degrees Celsius, which provided some respite after days of intense heat.
Since late March city residents have endured a heat wave with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees daily.
Le Dinh Quyet, head of the meteorological forecasting department at the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Station, attributed the brief rainfall to atmospheric disturbances.
The rain helped ease the heat, but hot conditions were expected to resume by noon, he said.
But a decrease in the heat is likely soon, with temperatures no longer climbing as high as 39 degrees Celsius.
From May 4-5 onwards rainfall is expected, which will help lower temperatures.
The meteorological agency advised people to be cautious about these unseasonable rains since the impurity levels of the water are high.
HCMC and the rest of the southern region are reaching the end of the dry season, which usually lasts from late November to late May.
In the past four months the region has suffered from severe heat phases, partially because of the El Nino phenomenon.
Characterized by elevated sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, El Nino typically causes reduced rainfall in regions across Vietnam, particularly the Central Highlands and southern regions.
The frequency of heatwaves - defined as peak temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive days - has aligned with patterns observed during El Nino years.
Each heatwave in HCMC has lasted longer than in the past, with the current one starting on March 29 and persisting for more than a month, a record since 1997.
A week ago there were heavy rains in several Mekong Delta localities like Can Tho City and Hau Giang, Tien Giang and Kien Giang provinces, providing relief and water for rice and fruit crops following a prolonged dry spell.
Some areas in the Central Highlands have also experienced scattered rainfall recently.
Brief showers in HCMC's Districts 1 and 4 on the morning of May 2, 2024. Video by Minh Bang
