Around 4 p.m., Thuy Dung, 30, and her husband were driving their car from Cau Giay ward to their home in Tay Mo ward when they encountered heavy rain. Initially, traffic moved slowly, but upon reaching the entrance to Thang Long Avenue, near the National Convention Center, all vehicles came to a standstill.

By 6 p.m., their car was still 800 m from home, gridlocked at an intersection. After more than two hours on the road, their son began crying, prompting Thuy Dung to move to the back seat to prepare milk. "Car horns blared constantly around us, but no one moved an inch, while my child cried from hunger in the car, making me distressed," Thuy Dung recounted.

cau Giay street (section near cau Giay station) experienced prolonged congestion, making vehicle movement difficult on the evening of 9/7. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

cau Giay street (section near cau Giay station) experienced prolonged congestion, making vehicle movement difficult on the evening of 9/7. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

Leaving her office on Vu Pham Ham street in Yen Hoa ward at 5 p.m., Nguyen Ngoc Anh, 28, traveled about one km before encountering gridlocked traffic at the Nguyen Ngoc Vu street exit. Normally, her 6 km commute home to Thanh Xuan ward takes 20 minutes, but this time, it took over two hours. "Driving rain and headwinds limited visibility, and everyone moved very slowly, causing severe congestion," Ngoc Anh said.

In the Yen Hoa area at 6 p.m., Nguyen Duong, 40, was riding his motorbike home to Giang Vo ward. Typically, his motorbike journey along the Trung Kinh - Cau Giay - Lang - Nguyen Chi Thanh axis takes about 30 minutes. However, this time, he remained stuck in traffic on Cau Giay street for the same duration. Often, he had to stop and wait for 2-3 minutes before his wheels could inch forward.

Having lived in the capital for many years, Duong is accustomed to traffic congestion after heavy rains. This time, localized flooding in some sections, combined with ongoing road construction, brought traffic to a virtual standstill.

After 7 p.m., he finally reached Nguyen Chi Thanh street. Although only 2 km from home, he estimated it would take at least another 20 minutes. Around him, numerous motorbikes ascended onto the sidewalks to find a way out, but he chose to wait in the road to avoid being fined.

people and vehicles moved with difficulty due to localized congestion on the kim Ma - dao Tan axis, following heavy rain on the evening of 9/7. Photo: Nga Thanh

people and vehicles moved with difficulty due to localized congestion on the kim Ma - dao Tan axis, following heavy rain on the evening of 9/7. Photo: Nga Thanh

On the afternoon of 9/7, many areas in Hanoi experienced heavy rainfall. According to data from Hanoi Drainage One Member Limited Company, the highest rainfall was recorded in the Tu Liem area (Dong Bong 1 station) at 36,6 mm; CV1 Lake station (Cau Giay) at 36 mm; O Cho Dua at 34,7 mm; Tay Ho at 33,5 mm; Phu Dien at 33 mm; and alley 37 Tran Quoc Hoan at 31,2 mm.

The weather led to minor congestion and flooding. Traffic moved very slowly on routes such as Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, Lang, the access roads to Vinh Tuy bridge and Nhat Tan bridge, Ring Road 3, and a series of intersections leading into the urban area of Tay Mo ward. Residents in Long Bien, Vinh Tuy, and Dong Anh reported being stationary on the roads for hours.

many residents on cau Giay street, cau Giay ward, displayed clear fatigue as they inched forward in the heavy rain on the afternoon of 9/7. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

many residents on cau Giay street, cau Giay ward, displayed clear fatigue as they inched forward in the heavy rain on the afternoon of 9/7. Photo: Quynh Nguyen

Observing the long lines of vehicles under the rain from her office window, Trinh Thuy, 30, decided to stay at her company on Truong Chinh street. Her workplace is over 5 km from her rented room in Hoang Mai ward, so she opted to wait until 7 p.m., when traffic eased, before starting her drive home.

Nga Thanh - Quynh Nguyen