Downpour, high tide sink areas in Ho Chi Minh City

A heavy downpour accompanied by rising tide resulted in inundation in many neighborhoods across Ho Chi Minh City late on Saturday afternoon.

It began pouring at around 4:00 pm and flooding occurred in multiple areas about an hour later.

As of 6:15 pm the same day, many streets were still submerged, posing a lot of difficulties for commuters, according to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters.

On Le Van Luong Street in Nha Be District, a one-kilometer section was severely flooded as the downpour caused water levels in the nearby canal to rise rapidly.

Residents living along the road did not have much time to react.

They also feared that the inundation would continue to worsen in the coming days.

“The street was submerged just about an hour after the rain started,” said Nguyen Thi Nhan, who runs a household business on Le Van Luong Street.

“I had no other choice but to close my shop early.”

On Nguyen Van Linh Street in District 7, motorcyclists had to travel in the automobile lane due to the flooding, which resulted in traffic congestion.

Tran Xuan Soan Street in District 7 had also been submerged by around 5:00 pm.

The serious flooding was caused by the combined effect of the heavy downpour and high tide, according to the southern hydro-meteorological station.

During this period of rising tide, water levels in the city are forecast to peak on Saturday and Sunday, reaching around 1.50-1.55 meters.