Hanoi residents help each other during a fierce storm

Cars acted as shields for motorbikes, and residents used saws to clear fallen trees, demonstrating the spirit of community in Hanoi during a powerful storm on the afternoon of 19/7.

Nguyen Thanh Thao, 30, and her daughter were cycling in Nam Thang Long urban area, Bac Tu Liem district, when a sudden storm hit. The strong gusts of wind made it impossible for them to move.

"My daughter screamed in fear, the bicycle fell and was blown away by the wind, and I, having a heart condition, trembled uncontrollably," Thao said.

Just then, a taxi stopped. The driver invited the mother and daughter into his car and retrieved the bicycle, storing it in the trunk. Despite the wind buffeting the car, making driving difficult, the driver moved slowly to shield motorbike riders going in the same direction before taking Thao and her daughter safely home.

Unable to ask her benefactor's name, Thao only managed to photograph the car's license plate and posted it on social media with a message of gratitude. "Thanks to him, my daughter and I survived and got home safely," she wrote.

Video taken by a passerby shows Nguyen Duc Dai and local residents sawing trees to clear traffic in Soc Son, Hanoi on the afternoon of 19/7. Source: *N.T.H*

During the same storm, Thuy Chi, 25, also struggled to control her motorbike in the strong winds as she traveled from her office on Nguyen Xien Street (Khuong Dinh ward) to her home in Doi Can Street (Ngoc Ha ward). As she struggled to steer, two cars behind her slowed down and drove parallel on either side of her to block the wind. "They 'escorted' me for over 4 kilometers. When I turned onto Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, they continued straight," Chi recounted.

On social media, many videos captured cars and buses driving in long lines, slowly shielding motorbikes on major bridges like Nhat Tan and Vinh Tuy, and in wind tunnels beneath high-rise buildings. The videos garnered tens of thousands of likes and comments praising the drivers for assisting motorbike riders during the difficult time.

Strong winds at the apartment complex where Thao's family lives in Bac Tu Liem forced security to hold the glass doors and ask residents not to go outside on the afternoon of 19/7. Source: *Nguyen Thanh Thao*

In Soc Son district, the storm knocked down several large trees, blocking the road from Minh Tri commune to Xuan Hoa commune, causing a traffic jam nearly one kilometer long. Nguyen Duc Dai, 48, whose house is 50 meters away, brought his family's saw to help. Several drivers and nearby residents joined him in pulling the branches to the side of the road.

After an hour of sawing and clearing, the entire route was reopened. Passersby thanked Dai and the local residents for their help.

"It was raining heavily, but seeing the road blocked for a kilometer, I wanted to lend a hand to speed things up," he said.

Video captures a series of cars driving slowly to shield motorbikes in Long Bien, Hanoi during a storm on the afternoon of 19/7. Source: *Beat Long Bien*

In addition to Hanoi, the provinces of Quang Ninh and Thai Nguyen also experienced thunderstorms that afternoon. On Ha Long Bay, the tourist boat Wonder Sea, carrying 53 people, capsized.

The thunderstorm occurred after three days of hot weather in northern Vietnam, with temperatures reaching 35-37 degrees Celsius in some areas.

Mai Van Khiem, Director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said the thunderstorms in northern Vietnam were not caused by Typhoon Wipha in the East Sea but by wind convergence along a low-pressure trough passing through northern Vietnam.

The meteorological agency forecast thunderstorms in the mountainous and midland areas of northern Vietnam that evening and night, with rainfall generally between 15 and 30 mm, and over 70 mm in some places.

Nga Thanh - Quynh Nguyen

By VnExpress: https://vnexpress.net/nguoi-ha-noi-cuu-giup-nhau-trong-giong-loc-4916443.html