A heavy downpour in Dien Bien Phu City under Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam caused serious flooding on Wednesday night, turning many streets into rivers and leaving several houses underwater.

The rain in Dien Bien Phu began at about 8:00 pm on Wendesday, bringing intense flooding to Vo Nguyen Giap Street, Truong Chinh Street, and Hoang Van Thai Street.

At its worst, Vo Nguyen Giap Street was about one meter underwater, forcing local authorites to close parts of the road in order to prevent accidents. Homes and businesses along the street were also inundated.

The rain began to subside at about 11:00 pm on Wednesday evening, though flooding on Vo Nguyen Giap Street left the road impassable for several hours.

Also on Wednesday night, an hour-long downpour inundated major streets in Sa Pa Town in Lao Cai Province, hindering traffic, overwhelming the drainage system, and causing many vehicle breakdowns.

According to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, northern and north-central Vietnam are likely to experience moderate to heavy rains on Thursday, with rainfall ranging between 30mm and 70mm in most areas, with certain regions forecast to receive over 120mm.

Rain is forecast to deintensify on Friday in the northern region.

People in mountainous and low-lying regions should take precautionary measures against possible flash floods and landslides, while those in urban areas should prepare for flooding, the national weather center said.

Over the past few days, localities in northwestern and northern Vietnam have suffered frequent flooding due to excessive rainfall.

In the capital city of Hanoi, heavy rain on Monday afternoon submerged many streets, causing difficulties for travelers.

Another downpour on Monday morning in Lao Cai City in the northern Vietnamese province of the same name submerged many roads in waist-deep water, prompting local residents to use floats in order to travel on the road.

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