Heavy downpours during the evening rush hour made commuting in eastern Bangkok more miserable than usual on Tuesday, with some roads in Bang Na, Klong Toey and Phra Khanong better suited to boats.

The water on Udomsuk Soi 1 in Bang Na around 7pm was 31 centimetres deep — the deepest in the capital for the evening, according to the Department of Drainage and Sewerage.

Floodwater was 21cm deep on Rama IV Road in the Kluai Nam Thai area of Klong Toey, while Sukhumvit Road at the Bang Na intersection was under 18cm of water. The water depth was 7cm on Sukhumvit Soi 62 in Phra Khanong district.

The department reported the highest rainfall totals for the six hours up to 7pm at 120 millimetres in Phra Khanong, followed by 114mm in Klong Toey and 68mm in Bang Na.

The Meteorological Department has forecast rain to cover 70-80% of Greater Bangkok from Wednesday to Friday due to a low pressure area in the upper part of the country.

Bangkok commuters are all too familiar with flooded roads after late-afternoon deluges at this time of year. But nationwide, as the rainy season winds down, precipitation is down significantly because of the effect of El Nino.

According to the Office of National Water Resources, total rainfall as of the end of last week was about 14% less than normal.