Heavy rain hit shortly before noon with intense force, turning the sky white behind a curtain of water. Within minutes, many central streets began to see water pooling on the road surface as the downpour overwhelmed immediate drainage capacity.
Nguyen Thai Hoc Street recorded a long stretch of standing water. Traffic moved slowly, with many motorcyclists reducing speed and carefully assessing conditions before deciding whether to continue for fear their engines would stall (Photo: Manh Quan).
At one point, the water rose to around half the height of a motorbike wheel. Many people chose to turn back or ride onto the pavement to avoid the pooled water. Traffic through the area was slower than usual as vehicles queued in search of a safer route (Photo: Manh Quan).
The standing water on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street also caused localised congestion at the Giang Vo - Nguyen Thai Hoc junction. Concerned that their vehicles might stall in deeper water, many drivers slowed or stopped to assess the route ahead, causing a short-lived tailback (Photo: Manh Quan).
At the end of alley 42 Giang Van Minh, floodwater was recorded at depths of 0.8 to 1 metre. Residents struggled to move around, using their feet to feel their way forward to avoid drains and sinkholes (Photo: Hai Long).
Tinh, a resident of alley 42 Giang Van Minh, reinforced a flood barrier in front of her home. According to her, whenever there is heavy rain for just 20 to 30 minutes, the alley is deeply flooded.
"Two days ago there was also heavy rain and the water flooded right into the house. We had only just finished cleaning up when the water rose again today. Luckily, this time it has not entered the house yet," she said (Photo: Hai Long).
One motorbike could not be moved to higher ground in time and was submerged up to the seat (Photo: Hai Long).
A cafe worker in alley 42 Giang Van Minh used a 1.2-metre pole to gauge the depth of the floodwater at midday (Photo: Hai Long).
Despite installing flood barriers at their doors, many residents in alley 100 Doi Can, which connects with alley 42 Giang Van Minh, still had to work hard to bail water out of their homes as the water level rose too quickly to respond in time (Photo: Hai Long).
On Hoe Nhai Street, a long stretch of road also saw standing water after the brief downpour. The area outside Hoe Nhai Hospital was a particularly low-lying point, making travel difficult (Photo: Manh Quan).
To ensure safety, authorities placed barriers around the deeper water to prevent vehicles from entering. Residents living on both sides of the road had to wade through the floodwater, with travel and daily life significantly disrupted (Photo: Manh Quan).
Many roadside businesses repeatedly used brooms to push water out of their premises to limit flooding inside, while also trying to clean up as the rain eased. Trading activity during the downpour also slowed as customers were reluctant to travel (Photo: Manh Quan).
At the Phan Huy Ich - Nguyen Truong To junction, environmental sanitation workers were on hand to clear drains, collect rubbish and remain at the waterlogged spot to help direct traffic and warn road users (Photo: Manh Quan).
Many motorcyclists still took the risk of riding through the pooled water in the hope of getting across before their engines stalled (Photo: Manh Quan).