Heavy rain lashed the capital on Tuesday morning, catching Hanoians off-guard and creating major traffic snarls during the peak morning hours.

The unexpected 30-minute downpour, across both Hanoi’s urban and outlying districts, had people parking their bikes on pavements and scrambling to take shelter under the nearest roofs.

The shower, which began around 7am, led to minor flooding in several streets and residential areas, which in turn created serious traffic jam that continued even after the morning rush hours.

At Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake in downtown Hanoi, a popular spot for tourists, it rained as much as 50mm.

In the urban Dong Da District’s Pham Ngoc Thach Street, floodwater rose to half the height of car tyres, slowing down traffic and causing congestion, which was further worsened by motorists driving on pavements to avoid floodwater.

On Vinh Tuy Bridge that crosses the Red River, heavy rain and very strong winds toppled several bikers trying to cross it. Some of them had to stop and hold on to the railing of the bridge, online newspaper VietnamPlus reported.

The Hanoi Sewerage and Drainage Co. Ltd. said it has deployed a large number of workers to flooded zones to clear floodwater and put up signposts warning of danger.

All of the northern and northern central regions can expect heavy showers till June 15. Between June 14 and 16, water levels in Thao and Lô rivers have been forecast to rise as high as three to five metres.

East Sea storm weakens

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said this year’s first storm over the East Sea, named Merbok, made landfall in China’s Guandong province and has since weakened into a tropical depression.

The storm will lead to heavy rain accompanied by strong gusts in the southern part of East Sea (South China Sea), as well as in the waters between the Ninh Thuận and Ca Mau provinces.

Hang Chuoi Street Nguyen Thai Hoc Road Ba Trieu Road Phan Boi Chau Street Tho Nhuom Street Hang Bai Street A tree falls down after the rain in the campus of a hotel on La Thanh Road Tran Hung Dao Street Nguyen Ngoc Nai Road, Thanh Xuan District Vu Tong Phan Road, Thanh Xuan District Kim Lien Road Le Trong Tan Street Le Trong Tan Street Thai Ha Road Motorbike run on the pavement of Thai Ha Street Luong Dinh Cua Street A pavement tea shop in an alley in Chua Boc Street A woman cleans her shop in Hoang Tich Chi Street after the rain

PV