Heavy rain in Hà Nội causes flooding and traffic disruption

Flooding on Kim Ngưu Street, Hai Bà Trưng District at 7pm Saturday evening. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Đức

HÀ NỘI – Heavy rain on Saturday evening caused severe flooding on many streets in Hà Nội, led to many residents who were on the move having to take shelter under overpasses, leading to traffic congestion, while others struggled to continue their journeys.

According to VNA reporters, as of 7.00pm on the same day, several areas in Đống Đa District, such as Láng Road, Pháo Đài Láng Street, and Huỳnh Thúc Kháng Street, were severely flooded, with water levels reaching up to 30 cm. This caused prolonged traffic jams, and vehicles could only move at a slow pace. In Hai Bà Trưng District, streets such as Kim Ngưu, Trương Công Giai, Cầu Giấy, and Dịch Vọng in Cầu Giấy District were also submerged under 20-30 cm of water. While cars could still navigate these areas, motorbike riders faced significant difficulties, with some vehicles breaking down and requiring manual pushing.

In the area behind the Ecohome 3 apartment complex in Bắc Từ Liêm District, flooding was particularly severe, especially near the gate of Đông Ngạc Primary School. The apartment’s security had to block the entrance to the underground parking lot to prevent water from entering. Many businesses along the street reported that the flooding had disrupted their operations.

Bùi Văn Tiến Dũng, who travelled from Long Biên District to Bắc Từ Liêm District via Yên Phụ Dyke Road and Âu Cơ Road, noted that he did not face too many challenges as the rain had just started when he set out. However, he encountered congestion at two points: near the Quảng An Flower Market and at the entrance to Nhật Tân Bridge. When he reached Kẻ Vẽ Street in Đông Ngạc Ward, his vehicle could not proceed further due to the water, which was about 40 cm deep.

Lightning struck the Tây Hồ Tây urban area at 6.30pm on Saturday. VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

Meanwhile, Trần Nguyễn Thái An had to wait for about half an hour for the water to recede at Kẻ Giàn Street in Đông Ngạc Ward, Bắc Từ Liêm District. Familiar with her route home to the Ecohome 1 apartment complex, she decided to stop her vehicle by the roadside, turn on the hazard lights, and wait for the water to subside before continuing her drive.

Information from the Hà Nội Sewerage One Member Limited Liability Company indicated that the company had deployed teams to handle the drainage situation and clear debris at intake points across its managed areas. They also operated the sluice gates of the Đống Đa, Bảy Mẫu, and Đầm Chuối lakes, as well as key pumping stations like Yên Sở, Đồng Bông 1, Đồng Bông 2, and Cổ Nhuế, to lower water levels in the system according to regulations.

Rainfall data, the operation status of pumping stations, sluice gates, and flood situations were updated in real-time to the Drainage System Monitoring Centre and integrated into the HSDC Maps software.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Hà Nội will continue to experience scattered showers and thunderstorms, with localised heavy rain in some areas. The teams from the Hà Nội Sewerage One Member Limited Liability Company will continue focusing on cleaning, inspecting, and clearing affected water flow channels, operating sluice gates and pumping stations to lower water levels across the system, and preparing for any subsequent rainfall events. VNS