Continuous rainfall causes severe flooding and traffic disruptions in Yangon

Yangon residents have reported severe flooding and major traffic disruptions due to continuous rainfall in various areas of the Yangon Region. 

The heavy downpour, which began on the evening of October 20, has led to widespread flooding across most townships in the region.

“The rain just won’t stop. Water has already entered our house, and we can’t do anything,” said a resident from North Dagon Myothit Township.

Key roads in Yangon, including Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Waizayandar Road, and Lower Kyimyindaing Road, are also heavily flooded, causing traffic standstills.

 “From the Parami bus stop on Waizayandar Road to the Thitsa traffic light, the water is so high that cars can’t pass,” reported another resident.

Similarly, areas near Tamwe Junction have seen water levels reach knee height. “In some spots, the water is knee-deep, and in others, it’s even submerging people’s ankles,” said a local resident.

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) reported early this morning that a well-marked low-pressure area over the East Central Bay of Bengal has moved northwest and is likely to intensify into a depression within the next 12 hours. It may develop into a cyclonic storm by October 23 and head towards the Northwest Bay of Bengal, off the Odisha-West Bengal coasts of India. 

The system is expected to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm and make landfall between Puri and Sagar Island early on October 25, 2024. The weather remains cloudy over the Andaman Sea and parts of the Bay of Bengal.

Rain or thundershowers will be isolated in Sagaing Region and Kachin, Northern Shan States, scattered in Mandalay and Magway Regions, as well as Eastern Shan and Chin States.

They will be fairly widespread in Nay Pyi Taw, Taninthayi Region, and Southern Shan, Kayin, and Mon States, while widespread rainfall is expected in the remaining Regions and States. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely in Bago, Yangon, Ayeyarwady Regions, and Rakhine State, with a 100% certainty.

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) has issued a warning about the potential for natural disasters, including heavy rain, strong winds, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, flash floods, and landslides. Residents in hilly areas should be cautious of landslides, and those living near small rivers and streams should be on alert for flooding. 

Additionally, inland water transport and air travel authorities are urged to take precautionary measures in advance.