A flood emergency has been declared across all 50 districts of Bangkok after 48 hours of torrential rain submerged roads and overwhelmed the capital’s drainage system. Residents have been urged to remain at home, while people living near canals have been told to move belongings upstairs as further rain could cause more flooding and canal breaches.

Bangkok’s eastern areas have been worst affected, with traffic severely disrupted and some residents reporting waist-high water and closed businesses. No deaths have been reported in the city, but the situation has prompted comparisons with Thailand’s devastating 2011 floods; forecasters expect heavy rain to continue, although the weather system is moving towards central Thailand.