Waymo has temporarily suspended some robotaxi operations in the United States following technical issues linked to severe weather and highway driving conditions.
The company paused operations in four cities after reports that its autonomous vehicles struggled to navigate heavy rainfall and flooding conditions.
According to media reports, a Waymo robotaxi became stranded in floodwater in Atlanta on Wednesday after driving into a flooded street. The vehicle reportedly remained stuck for about an hour before recovery crews removed it.
Following the incident, Waymo suspended operations in Atlanta as a precautionary measure. The company also halted services in Texas cities including Dallas, Houston and San Antonio because of severe weather conditions.
Waymo had previously introduced a software update intended to improve the ability of its autonomous driving systems to detect and avoid flooded roads. However, the Atlanta incident occurred after the update had already been deployed.
The company has also suspended highway operations for its robotaxi fleet in several markets, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami.
In a statement to technology publication TechCrunch, Waymo said the suspension is intended to improve vehicle performance in construction zones on highways.
The company said it is incorporating recent technical findings into updated software and expects highway services to resume after further system refinements.
Waymo initially launched its autonomous ride-hailing services in urban environments before expanding to highway driving in late 2025.
The company, which originated from the Google Self-Driving Car Project, currently operates robotaxi services in 11 US cities and has announced plans to expand into additional domestic and international markets, including London and Tokyo.
Earlier this year, Waymo secured $16 billion in funding from investors to support expansion of its autonomous mobility operations.
The recent service disruptions highlight continuing technical challenges facing autonomous driving systems in complex real-world conditions such as extreme weather, road flooding and changing highway construction layouts.