High tides forecast to bring floods back to Ho Chi Minh City this week

According to the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center, Ho Chi Minh City will see river tides rise to their peaks at 1.65–1.7 m on the Saigon River, about 5–10 cm above alarm level 3, the highest warning level, on Wednesday and Thursday.

At Thu Dau Mot Station in the former Binh Duong Province, the peak tides are expected at 1.75–1.8 m.

Weather forecasts from the center also indicate that easterly wind disturbances combined with a cold spell from the north will bring more frequent rainfall to the south in coming days.

The forecast suggests that HCMC may experience thunderstorms and rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"It is necessary to be wary of heavy rain combined with high tides, which may cause flooding in low-lying and riverside areas, affecting transportation and socio-economic activities in Ho Chi Minh City," the center said in a statement on its website.

During the peak tides early this month, many parts of Ho Chi Minh City were left inundated.

With the tides rising around 5–7 p.m. when people leave work for home on Nov. 5, traffic was paralyzed for hours as a number of streets were flooded.