[Hurricane88]

Saigon told to brace for heavy rains, tidal flooding again this week

By VnExpress December 11, 2016 | 07:00 pm GMT+7


Just when you thought it was safe, the waters are forecast to come flooding back into the city.

Low-lying areas in Ho Chi Minh City have been warned to prepare for possible flooding over the next week, with heavy downpours and high tides forecast.

The National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center said on Sunday that the after-effects from a low pressure zone and strong monsoon winds are likely to cause downpours in the southern region, including Ho Chi Minh City, between Sunday and Tuesday.

The tides, which are expected to be at their highest on Wednesday and Thursday, will cause water in the Mekong and Saigon rivers to rise quickly, the center said in a note.

The latest news comes after a historic downpour on September 26 rendered the city’s drainage system almost useless, causing flooding on at least 60 streets of up to 80 centimeters. Thousands of cars and motorbikes in basement parking lots were left stranded.

The rainfall was measured at 179mm that day, the highest since at least 1975.