Downpour plunges Hanoi underwater

The intersection at Pham Hung, Me Tri and Duong Dinh Nghe, a frequently flooded location, was flooded by over half a meter. Several vehicles going through the area were shut down, causing severe traffic jams.

A section on Hanoi’s Duong Dinh Nghe Street is inundated after a downpour on June 13, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu

Hoang Cong Hoan said he was going from Duong Dinh Nghe to Pham Hung when water got inside his motorbike and its engine died. The water was deep enough to cover the entire wheel.

“I had to wait for the water to recede to find a repair shop,” Hoan said.

About a kilometer away on Chau Van Liem Street, the water level was around 60 cm deep. Many decided to switch to another route.

In Cau Giay District, Phan Van Truong Street was over 50 cm deep underwater. Other streets like Cau Giay, Xuan Thuy and Ho Tung Mau also saw water level at over 30 cm deep, forcing many vehicles to take refuge under a metro railway.

Downtown areas in Hoan Kiem District like Dinh Tien Hoang, Ly Thai To, Ly Thuong Kiet and Phan Boi Chau streets were also severely flooded. The Ly Thai To section near the Hanoi Post Office was about 40 cm deep underwater, forcing pedestrian to retreat to nearby buildings.

Motorbikes ride on a flood street outside Trang Tien Plaza in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District, June 13, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

On the Phap Van-Cau Gie highway, several trees were felled due to strong wind. Traffic police officers were dispatched to clear the trees and free up traffic.

From 7:40 p.m. to 9 p.m., weather stations across Hanoi recorded rain levels at over 100 mm. It rained the most heavily in Cau Giay District with over 150 mm of rain level recorded, followed by Dong Da District with over 100 mm.

Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Nam Tu Liem and Tay Ho districts saw rain levels at around 80-90 mm. Thanh Xuan and Ba Dinh districts saw rain levels at around 70 mm.

The rain was the result of a low-pressure area, and is expected to continue until the end of Tuesday, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. Afterwards, rains would be limited to mountainous regions and the midlands of northern Vietnam.

Previously on May 29, Hanoi recorded a record-breaking rain level over two hours at over 170 mm in Cau Giay District, with other districts recording rain levels between 100-150 mm. The downpour broke the previous record in 1986 by around 6 mm, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.