• Vietnam's Hue sets a national rainfall record of 1.7m in 24 hours.
• Over 8,600 people evacuated due to severe flooding and landslides.
• Major infrastructure, including trains, suspended due to extreme conditions.
• Human-driven climate change exacerbating weather-related disasters.

Vietnam's central city of Hue set a national record for rainfall, recording more than 1.7 meters in just 24 hours from Sunday to Monday, according to the environment ministry. This surpassed the previous record of 0.99 meters set in 1999. The heavy rainfall, combined with ongoing storms, has heavily inundated coastal regions, particularly impacting Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and nearby Hoi An, causing significant flooding that submerged homes and roads, according to Channel News Asia, SCMP, and Al Jazeera.

Since the start of the rainfall, over 8,600 individuals from four provinces have been evacuated to safer locations, including schools and public buildings, due to the severe risk of flooding and landslides, the environment ministry reported. Particularly in Hue, residents waded through waist-deep waters or navigated flood-affected areas using small boats. Witnesses described this flood as the largest they have experienced, with water levels significantly higher than those of past flooding events, according to Channel News Asia, SCMP, and Al Jazeera.

As the flooding worsened, significant disruptions were reported, including the suspension of train services between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City due to concerns for infrastructure integrity. Authorities were forced to take drastic measures, such as placing 19 stone-laden carriages on a bridge to prevent it from being swept away. Notably, heavy rains also triggered mudslides in coastal Quang Ngai province, isolating around 1,700 people, according to Channel News Asia, SCMP, and Al Jazeera.

The frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events have been attributed to human-driven climate change, which is believed to render storms and floods more destructive. Vietnam is recognized as one of the countries most vulnerable to flooding, with experts warning of increased risks as global temperatures rise. Recent events in September, involving Typhoon Bualoi, had already left a significant toll on the nation's resources, with natural disasters causing 187 reported fatalities or missing individuals this year alone, as stated by the General Statistics Office, according to Channel News Asia, SCMP, and Al Jazeera.