Motorcyclists move on flooded Vuon Lan street in Tan Binh district, HCM City, on September 26 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Serious floods are likely to recur in Ho Chi Minh City, especially low-lying and inner areas, in the next 10 days as tidal surges will rise quickly from October 11-20, said the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
As a result of tidal surges, the water level on the Saigon River, a major river in HCM City, measured at Phu An station can reach 1.65m, 0.15m higher than warning level 3 – the second highest in the four-level scale of warning.
Meanwhile, the water level on the lower Cuu Long (Mekong) River will also stand at or surpass Level 3, according to the forecasting centre.
HCM City is grappling with persistent inundation.
On September 26, more than 175mm of rain fell after starting at around 4pm, the highest amount recorded in a single downpour in recent years, according to city authorities.
Many motorbikes broke down and others were stuck for very long in the gridlock caused by the flooding. The deluge also affected many domestic and international flights arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Tan Binh district.
It’s now the peak rainy season in southern Vietnam and heavy downpours are expected to continue until November, according to the Southern Region Hydro-meteorological Station.
The city is carrying out a flood control project in 19 out of 24 districts involving an area of 570 square kilometres and a population of 6.5 million. The project is expected to control flooding and mitigate the effects of climate change, according to the Steering Centre of the Urban Flood Control Programme.-VNA
