Heavy morning rain floods roads in Ho Chi Minh City

Heavy rain started in Hiep Binh, Linh Xuan and Thu Duc wards from early morning, with localised flooding reported on several roads.

Water covered sections of Road 30 and Linh Dong Road in Hiep Binh Ward, forcing motorcyclists to slow down and navigate flooded stretches on their way to work.

Residents of apartment buildings along Road 30 also had to wade through floodwater to leave their homes.

“This area used to suffer frequent severe flooding. After the drainage system was upgraded and the road raised, the situation improved considerably. However, heavy downpours can still cause water levels to rise,” said Le Tan, a local resident.

According to the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Centre, thunderstorms occurred in many parts of Ho Chi Minh City from the night of September 29 through the morning of September 30, with some areas experiencing heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

Rainfall monitoring stations recorded significant amounts in several areas, including 100mm in Thu Dau Mot, 168.2mm in Le Minh Xuan and 81.4mm in Binh Chanh.

The rain was attributed to an upper-level wind convergence system that had formed and become active over the region.

Rain was forecast to continue in many parts of the western region of southern Vietnam on the morning of September 30, with scattered showers in the east and some areas receiving moderate to heavy rain.

Rainfall was expected to ease around midday but increase again from the afternoon into the evening, becoming more widespread, with moderate to heavy showers in some areas.

Residents were advised to monitor weather developments, avoid travelling through deeply flooded areas and take precautions against thunderstorms, lightning and strong gusts during periods of heavy rain.

This version keeps the on-the-ground reporting style while tightening the weather and flood information for international news readers.