Storm causes severe flash floods in Cambodia

Video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ryl03f1xum3fkga/VRP56865.mp4?dl=0

Heavy rain caused severe flash floods in Cambodia on Tuesday afternoon.

Footage shows torrents of muddy water covering streets after a river burst its banks in Sihanoukville province on August 24.

Stranded residents had to wait on higher ground until they could reach safety.

Officials told residents to stay indoors and avoid any kind of travel. They said that by evening more than 200mm of rain had fallen.

Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are in the middle of their tropical monsoon rainy season, which lasts until October or November. Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods.