Heavy rains have caused major flooding in central Vietnam, with rivers swelling and inundating homes and farmland, and submerging tourist destinations including the historic cities of Hue and Hoi An.

By late Monday, rainfall in the central city of Hue reached 1,085.8 millimeters (42 inches) within 24 hours, the highest volume ever recorded in Vietnam, according to the country’s meteorological department.

By Tuesday morning, water levels in Hue’s iconic Perfume River had risen to 4.62 meters (15 feet), while the UNESCO-listed former imperial capital and the ancient town of Hoi An experienced floods reaching waist-deep. Tourists were evacuated by boat on Monday from Hoi An’s ancient town after persistent rainfall and releases from hydroelectric dams caused water in the Hoai River to rise nearly 2 meters (6.5 feet).

The floods in Hue submerged homes and cut off major streets as 32 of its 40 residential areas were flooded, state media reported, adding that residents navigated the submerged streets by using boats.

The train route between Hanoi in the north and the financial capital of Ho Chi Minh city in the south was also suspended because of the floods, impacting thousands of passengers, state media said.

On Monday evening, Vietnam’s railways positioned 19 train carriages laden with heavy stones weighing 980 tonnes (1,080 U.S. tons) on a bridge to prevent it from being swept away by the floodwaters, state media said.

About 1,000 people in rural pockets of the affected Thua Thien Hue province were in need, as their homes had become isolated by flooding and landslides, said Australian nonprofit Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. This includes 200 children under their care.

Forecasters had warned that central Vietnam would receive heavy rainfall resulting in floods and landslides as storm Fengshen approached Vietnam. Global warming is making such storms stronger and wetter, according to experts, since warmer oceans provide tropical storms with more fuel, driving more intense winds, heavier rainfall and shifting precipitation patterns across East Asia.

Vietnam is among the most flood-prone countries worldwide with nearly half of its population living in areas of risk.

(AP)