Rain began around 17h across Ho Chi Minh City, intensifying steadily. At Tan Son Nhat Airport, adverse weather conditions disrupted operations, leading to adjusted takeoff times for many flights and requiring some arriving aircraft to circle before being cleared to land.

A representative for Vietnam Airlines stated that approximately five flights destined for Tan Son Nhat had to circle. These flights originated from Quy Nhon, Ha Noi, Da Nang, Con Dao, and Pleiku. By nearly 18h, as weather conditions improved, aircraft were progressively cleared for approach and landing.

A stalled oto is towed away by a rescue vehicle on Nguyen Van Qua Street, an access road to Tan Son Nhat, on the afternoon of 30/9. Photo: Tuan Viet

The airline regularly updated passengers and adjusted operations to ensure safety. In addition to the circling flights, the flight schedule at Tan Son Nhat was also disrupted, with several departures experiencing delays.

Outside the airport, heavy rain caused widespread flooding and traffic jams during rush hour. Areas around Lang Cha Ca roundabout and on Truong Chinh, Truong Son, and Nguyen Van Qua streets were severely congested with vehicles.

In the former Thu Duc City area, streets such as To Ngoc Van and Quoc Huong experienced deep flooding, with water levels reaching nearly half a meter in some sections, hindering vehicle movement and causing traffic chaos.

According to the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center, the widespread rain this afternoon was caused by strong convective cloud development, with rainfall generally between 20-100 mm, and over 100 mm in some areas. During the thunderstorms, there was a risk of whirlwinds, lightning, and strong gusts of wind measuring 5-8, equivalent to 8-21 m/s, along with potential localized flooding.

Following consecutive heavy rainfalls in recent days, Tan Son Nhat International Airport implemented a bad weather response plan to ensure safety and minimize operational impact. The airport intensified monitoring and dangerous weather warnings; it also inspected airstairs and safety protocols for passengers boarding and disembarking aircraft during rain. Drainage systems were also dredged to improve water flow.

Giang Anh