Heavy rains flood Hanoi, disrupting traffic

Rains have poured down in Hanoi since Monday night and got heavier on Tuesday morning.

Over 150 mm rainfall was dumped onto many parts of Hanoi between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., with some areas recording more than 150 mm in just two hours from 11 a.m., according to the Hanoi Drainage One Member Limited Liability Company.

Torrential rains left 65 flooding hotspots across the city, particularly in inner-city districts, where water levels surged as high as 50 cm in some locations.

Thang Long Boulevard, one of Hanoi's busiest roads, was severely flooded, causing traffic to come to a standstill. Vehicles were stranded in knee-deep water, while motorcyclists struggled to push their bikes through the floods. Other major routes, such as Vo Chi Cong Street, one of the main routes to Noi Bai Airport, saw water levels rising up to 40 cm, forcing many vehicles to turn around or take alternate routes. On Nguyen Xien Street, traffic also came to a halt, with vehicles trapped by the rising waters.

The area near My Dinh Stadium was particularly hard-hit, with streets submerged in deep water and stalls near the stadium collapsing due to the weight of the rainwater and strong winds.

The flooding also extended to nearby areas like Mai Dich, where vehicles struggled to navigate through waters up to 50 cm deep.

Disruptions to daily life and traffic

Residents throughout the city were forced to find alternative routes to navigate the floods, with many streets, such as Pham Hung and Ton That Thuyet, completely impassable. At the Pham Hung - Ton That Thuyet intersection, water reached as high as 50 cm, trapping cars and motorcycles.

Some residents were forced to walk through the floodwaters to get home. "My usual 20-minute commute took 40 minutes today," said Nhat Long, a local resident. "Everywhere is flooded, traffic is stuck, and this is worse than last month's flood," Long said of the heavy flooding on Aug. 26 due to the impact of Storm Kajiki.

At the Mai Dich intersection, traffic police had to set up barricades to redirect vehicles and reduce the risk of further congestion. Meanwhile, workers and water pumps were stationed on Vo Chi Cong Street to mitigate the flooding.

Hanoi’s authorities are continuing efforts to manage the situation, with traffic police working to clear blocked roads and minimize the impact on daily life.