Worsening weather began at around 4.30 pm and lasted nearly two hours, significantly affecting air traffic at the airport.
Flightradar24 data at 5.45 pm showed numerous flights circling over southern Vietnam as they waited for conditions to improve before landing at Tan Son Nhat.
Flight VN1395 from Quy Nhon to HCM City circled about 10 times over the former Binh Thuan area before diverting to an alternate airport. Flight 9G 885 from Hanoi to HCM City also circled several times over Lam Dong.
Unlike typical spells of bad weather at Tan Son Nhat, which usually last 15-30 minutes, the storm brought dense low cloud that persisted for hours. Visibility at times fell to around one kilometre, making conditions unsuitable for landing.
Vietnam Airlines warned that flights to and from Tan Son Nhat could face schedule changes or be required to hold because of thunderstorms.
In central HCM City, skies darkened from around 5 pm as heavy rain, thunder and lightning caused difficulties for commuters during the evening rush hour.