Unseasonal rains to persist in HCMC until weekend

By Dinh Van February 11, 2025 | 10:34 pm PT

Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam will experience widespread unseasonal rains until the end of the week due to the influence of a low-pressure system, with rainfall expected to exceed past years' average.

Many districts in HCMC saw overcast skies with little to no sunshine on Wednesday morning, while some areas had brief showers lasting about 10 minutes. The unexpected rainfall during the dry season caught many residents off guard, forcing those without raincoats to seek shelter.

People clean up trash that clogs drains to drain water during heavy rain that flooded an alley on Chu Van An Street, Binh Thanh District at 1:30 a.m. on February 12. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van

A man cleans up trash that clogs drains as heavy rains flooded an alley on Chu Van An Street in Binh Thanh District at 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 12, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van

Unseasonal showers first appeared on Tuesday afternoon, followed by a prolonged downpour from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Wednesday. The heavy rain caused flooding in parts of Binh Thanh District and District 7, leaving residents struggling to navigate waterlogged streets and clear clogged drains.

Rainfall was also recorded in neighboring provinces, including Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Tay Ninh.

Le Dinh Quyet, head of the forecasting department at the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center, attributed the rain to the formation of an equatorial low-pressure trough over the East Sea, which triggered disturbances leading to rainfall across the southern region. Some districts, including Hoc Mon, Nha Be, Thu Duc City, and Binh Thanh, recorded rainfall between 25 and 50 mm on Tuesday night.

Forecasts indicate that the low-pressure system will move slowly in a west-northwest direction through Saturday and could strengthen into the first tropical depression of the year, potentially impacting mainland areas.

People ride motorbikes on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 3 during heavy rain on the evening of Jan. 11, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Motorcyclists cover themselves in raincoats as riding on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street of HCMC's District 3 on the evening of Jan. 11, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Quyet noted that over the past 20 years (2005–2025), HCMC has experienced February rainfall in 12 of those years. However, this year’s total rainfall for the month is expected to surpass the record high of 72.7 mm set in the dry season of 2006.

The low-pressure system over the East Sea is expected to continue developing, with the possibility of forming the first tropical depression of 2025.