Hanoi: Heavy rains cause serious congestion during morning rush hour

From 5:45 am to 6:15 am Tuesday morning, heavy rains suddenly poured down in the capital city with the largest rainfall in Long Bien district measuring at 73 mm, followed by Hoang Mai district with 56 mm, Hai Ba Trung district 60 mm, Dong Anh district 43 mm and Gia Lam district nearly 39 mm.

Heavy rains lashing down in a short period of time (about 30 minutes) caused the drainage system to overload, triggering deep inundation from 20-30 cm in many roads in Hoang Mai and Long Bien districts, leading to serious traffic congestion during the morning rush hour.

Notably, the Dam Quang Trung - Co Linh intersection (Long Bien district), right at the foot of Vinh Tuy bridge and in front of AEON Mall Long Bien, was deeply flooded. According to a representative from the Sewerage and Drainage Company, it is a low-lying area so when heavy rains occurs, the water levels of the surrounding lake and ditch systems rises automatically, limiting the ability of drainage there. The unit has regularly arranged forces to alert people and vehicles passing by the intersection.

Heavy rains flooded roads right at peak hours, causing many roads to be seriously congested. On Minh Khai street, vehicles stood still under the pouring rain for hours. On Giai Phong street, cars and motorbikes inched up from Phap Van intersection to Dai Co Viet-Dao Duy Anh intersection. On Chuong Duong bridge, the congested vehicle line lasted for many kilometres. Congestion also occurred in many other Hanoi’s routes, such as Dai Co Viet, Thai Ha, Chua Boc, Tay Son, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Tran Duy Hung and Nguyen Chi Thanh.

The most severely congested areas were the Dam Quang Trung - Co Linh intersection (Long Bien district), Vinh Tuy bridge and Phan Trong Tue route at the To bridge in front of the Dai Thanh urban area (Thanh Tri district), making traffic almost numb. It took almost four hours for vehicles to travel through Vinh Tuy bridge because of several dead-end vehicles right at the Dam Quang Trung - Co Linh intersection at the foot of the bridge, while there was a traffic collision on the bridge also. The functional forces had to strain themselves to regulate the traffic in the rains. Not until 10:30 am, the vehicles could pass through these congested areas.

Meanwhile, heavy rains lasted from Monday evening to 10 am this morning also caused serious damages in Thai Nguyen, Ha Giang and Bac Can provinces.

In Thai Nguyen city, three masons were reported dead while they were sleeping at about 4:30 this morning, as a wall behind their shed collapsed onto them due to prolonged rains. Heavy rains also caused widespread power outages and flooding on many streets in the city.

In Ha Giang, heavy rains caused heavy property damages to local people in the northernmost province, while also stirring landslides that blocked arterial roads to highland communes. According to a report showed to Nhan Dan reporters by the province’s Steering Committees for Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue, prolonged heavy rains causing flooding damaged 300 houses and eight school sites, washing away valuable properties, while more than 50 ha of rice were flooded, as well as eroding and flooding many roads, forcing the traffic to be terminated for many hours.

From September 8-9, in Na Hang district, Tuyen Quang province, heavy downpours caused seven houses and a headquarters of a commune people’s committee to collapse. Heavy rains also flooded more than 21 ha of rice, fruit trees and crops, while triggering landslide leading to traffic congestion in two communes of Thuong Giap and Hong Thai and a section of the National Highway No. 280 running through Ban Cuon village in Yen Hoa commune and Con Lon commune.

Officials and local people in Yen Hoa commune, Na Hang district (Tuyen Quang) clean their houses after heavy rains during September 8-9. (Photo: NDO/DOAN THU)

According to the national weather service, due to the influence of a low pressure system through the North, combined with the wind convergence zone at the height from 1,500-5,000m, it is forecast that showers and thunderstorms will progress in the North during Tuesday, with heavy rains up to over 120mm per 24 hours may batter the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, Son La, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc and Thai Nguyen.

Until the end of September 12, moderate rains are forecast for the North, while heavy rains and thunderstorms are likely occur in the mountainous and midland areas. Low-lying areas in the mountainous provinces of Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Cao Bang, Lang Son and Quang Ninh are at the high risk of flash floods, landslides and flooding.

Meanwhile, the heat is returning in the central provinces despite floods due to heavy rains in the recent days have not receded yet. It is forecasted that the large scale hot weather in the Central Vietnam, with the highest temperature up to 37C, is likely to last for the next two to three days. The temperature is predicted to stay above 35C for 11-16 hours a day.