Stall-holders cleared water from a flooded market after heavy rain battered Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday afternoon, May 17.

A powerful afternoon tropical storm filled the streets with water forcing residents to wade through the deluge while cars had to crawl through the water.

At the Jodd Fairsnight market in the Phra Ram 9 area of the capital city, vendors used pumps and brushes to push away surface water gathering on the concrete.

The Thai Meteorological Department said Thailand had entered its rainy season around the second week of May and it will last until mid-October.

Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods which cause rivers to flow faster and become dangerous.

Neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are reaching the start of their tropical monsoon rainy season.

Many of the under-developed nations struggle to cope with the heavy rain due to under-investment infrastructure.