Sudden downpour hits Beijing Tuesday night, causing traffic jam. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - A sudden downpour hit Beijing Tuesday night, disrupting traffic in many parts of the city.

The downpour brought a precipitation of more than 100 millimeters in three hours from 9 pm Tuesday, blocking traffic in several artery roads in downtown area.

A car was submerged by rain water under the Lianhua (Lotus) Bridge on the city's Third Ring Road, where stagnant water was over one meter deep.

"This round of downpour was concentrated in the downtown area, affecting urban traffic. The suburban districts received little rainfall," said Wang Yi, chief engineer with the Beijing municipal headquarters of flood control and drought relief, Wednesday.

A driver surnamed Cui said he was stranded on the Second Ring Road for two hours at Tuesday midnight.

"The highway has become a big parking lot. Water on ground was half a meter high," he said.

The municipal observatory forecast that the thunderstorms could occur in Beijing from Wednesday through Saturday, as the city has entered its flood season.