Ho Chi Minh City braces for continued heavy rain and flooding amid high tides

Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces will face continued heavy downpours through Friday, exacerbating flood risks as the severe weather collides with rising high tides. The Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center projects total rainfall in the city to reach between 70 and 100 millimeters from Wednesday morning through 1 p.m. on Friday. Some areas could receive more than 150 mm of rain during this period.Widespread showers will persist Wednesday evening, compounding the impact of several torrential downpours that have battered the city since the beginning of the week.Tran Van Hung, deputy director of the center, noted the city is enduring a five-day stretch of widespread rain. Many areas recorded over 100 mm of rainfall between Sept. 21 and 22 alone.The highest concentration earlier this week was observed in the former Nha Be District, which received 249 mm.Meteorologists attribute the prolonged downpours to the interaction between the intertropical convergence zone and a low-pressure circulation moving inland from the sea. Heavy widespread rain sends water rushing along Ly Te Xuyen Street in eastern Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of Sept. 22, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran On Wednesday morning, a sudden 30-minute deluge struck the central business district, the former Binh Thanh District, and the former Thu Duc City area. This heavy rush-hour rain severely disrupted morning commutes and school drop-offs across the metropolis.Across the broader southern region, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting expects 40 to 80 mm of rainfall from Wednesday morning through the night, with localized peaks exceeding 150 mm.Regional rainfall totals on Thursday are forecast between 30 and 70 mm, though certain areas could see over 100 mm. Forecasters warned that sudden, intense bursts of rain could dump over 100 mm in just a three-hour window.Downpours are expected to ease slightly by Friday across southern Vietnam. General rainfall will range from 10 to 30 mm, though localized heavy storms dumping more than 70 mm remain a threat.This extended period of severe weather coincides directly with the full-moon high tides of the eighth lunar month.At the Thu Dau Mot station near the city's eastern gateway, tidal waters are projected to breach the third warning level for four consecutive days starting Thursday.The perilous combination of torrential rain and surging tides significantly elevates the flooding risk in low-lying neighborhoods and threatens severe evening traffic gridlock.Authorities have issued widespread flood warnings for urban centers, industrial zones, and low-lying coastal areas. Officials also cautioned residents to remain alert for lightning, strong wind gusts, and potential tornadoes developing within the thunderstorm cells.Torrential rains in recent days have already submerged critical infrastructure across the city. Floodwaters inundated the area beneath the Ba Son Bridge, the Hanoi Highway, the Thu Duc Market, and major arteries like Nguyen Van Linh and Le Van Luong streets.Water levels topped half a meter in several locations, stalling hundreds of vehicles. On sloped roadways, fast-moving runoff swept motorcyclists off their bikes and severely hindered travel.Evening rush-hour storms earlier this week triggered massive gridlock, trapping commuters for up to two hours on central city streets and around the critical Hang Xanh Roundabout.