{"id":3417,"date":"2020-08-12T12:09:51","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T04:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=3417"},"modified":"2020-09-14T23:03:31","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T15:03:31","slug":"udi-maps-weather-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/udi-maps-weather-app\/","title":{"rendered":"UDI MAPS Is A Saigon Weather App That Helps Drivers Avoid Flood-Prone Areas This Rainy Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

App warns you in advance about flood-prone areas<\/h2>\n
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One of the biggest challenges of living in Saigon is commuting on flooded streets<\/strong>, which is an inevitable part of life as the city enters the rainy season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Post-rainfall floods can submerge motorbike wheels, causing inconveniences as well as accidents for commuters.<\/strong> Since Saigon is a gigantic city where the weather and flooding can differ by district, it\u2019s hard to know what to expect when hitting the roads.<\/p>\n

But with UDI MAPS<\/strong>, a weather tracking app, you can now know what to expect on the road in advance, and steer clear of flood-prone areas.<\/p>\n

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How the UDI MAPS app works<\/span><\/h3>\n
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UDI MAPS<\/strong><\/a> is a free Android app developed by Ho Chi Minh City Urban Drainage Company<\/strong><\/a>. It shows you the real-time weather data for areas across the city, as well as live updates on rainfall locations, intensity, weather trends, <\/strong>and flooding alerts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"UDI
\nImage credit: <\/em>Google Play Store\/UDI Maps<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The map is easy to understand. At a glance, you can see the weather conditions across the city with the help of 3 main icons: the sun icon, the rainfall icon, <\/strong>and the red bell icon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the sun icon<\/strong> pops up in a certain area, this means that it is currently rain-free. Meanwhile, areas marked with the rainfall icons<\/strong> are seeing rain. The red bell<\/strong> icon, which is a flood alert<\/strong>, denotes the high likelihood of flooding in a certain area.<\/p>\n

For more information on the intensity and rainfall trends<\/strong> in an area, users can click on the icons and zoom in<\/strong> for further information.<\/p>\n

\"UDI
\nImage credit: <\/em>Google Play Store\/UDI Maps<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

For example, when clicking on the rain icon<\/strong> shown in District 1\u2019s Vo Van Kiet area, more details pop up to tell us that the area is seeing heavy<\/strong> rainfall<\/strong>, which is likely to increase. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"UDI
\nImage credit: <\/em>Google Play Store\/UDI Maps<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On 7th August, UDI MAPS picked up flooding in District 2\u2019s Thao Dien area<\/strong>. It also elaborated that the length of the flooded area extended from Xuan Thuy Street to Hanoi Expressway. According to the updates, Thao Dien was seeing moderate flooding<\/strong>, and drivers were having difficulties <\/strong>navigating the area.<\/p>\n

Drivers can also contribute real-time updates <\/strong>on the flooding in their current location by providing descriptions and photos of the flooding.<\/p>\n

\"UDI
\nImage credit: <\/em>Google Play Store\/UDI Maps<\/em><\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

UDI MAPS is currently available only in the Vietnamese language<\/strong>. To navigate the app quickly, click on the second icon from the left with the letter \u201ci<\/strong>\u201d and the words\u201chi\u1ec7n tr\u1ea1ng\u201d (Status)<\/em><\/strong> to be guided straight to the map for real-time weather reading.<\/p>\n

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Flooding in Ho Chi Minh City<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\"UDI
\nA motorbike driver whose motorbike stalled due to water flow was helped by fellow commuters
\n<\/em>Image credit: <\/em>Beatvn S\u00e0i G\u00f2n<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Ho Chi Minh City is a low-lying city<\/strong> that suffers from high rainfall <\/strong>during its rainy season, usually in the second half of the year.<\/p>\n

In its urban area, the city sewage system and drainage canals<\/a> in many parts of the city are not able to drain the rainwater away<\/strong>, according to construction engineer Dung Phan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"UDI
\nA commuter stranded in thigh-high flooding on 6th August
\n<\/em>Image credit: <\/em>Beatvn S\u00e0i G\u00f2n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Flooding in Ho Chi Minh City averages at 20CM-high water levels<\/strong>, which can cause water to be sucked into motorcycle engines and result in sudden breakdowns.<\/p>\n

Rain and floods also impact visibility<\/strong>, making it almost impossible for drivers to see obstacles around them. Many accidents happen on flooded streets because drivers hit obstacles obscured from their view<\/strong> and fall off their motorbikes.<\/p>\n

\"UDI
\nA driver struggling to move a nearly-submerged motorbike
\n<\/em>Image credit: <\/em>Beatvn S\u00e0i G\u00f2n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Flooding affects both motorbike and car drivers in the city. While those whose motorbikes conk out can still manage to push their vehicles to the nearest repair shops<\/strong>, car drivers are often stranded when their engines stall.<\/p>\n

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UDI MAPS gives Saigon residents weather updates<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Flooding is a pet peeve of many Saigon residents <\/strong>during the rainy season. Roads are covered in water, causing major traffic congestion and road accidents.<\/p>\n

While long-term solutions to tackle flooding problems are still underway, UDI MAPS can come in handy to help commuters make informed decisions <\/strong>before hitting the road<\/a> on rainy days.<\/p>\n

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