FLASH floods in Kuala Lumpur yesterday were caused by the movement of a squall line that brought in thunderstorms and heavy rain, reported Bernama.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), weather monitoring and radar image analysis indicated that a squall line formed over the Strait of Malacca early yesterday morning and began moving into Selangor at 7 am.
A squall line is a long, narrow band of intense thunderstorms that can produce severe weather such as strong winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail or even tornadoes, often forming ahead of a cold front.
"The intensity of the squall line increased and moved towards Kuala Lumpur at 8.30 am.
"Based on the rainfall distribution in the Klang Valley from 8 am to 11 am, the highest rainfall recorded was between 9 am to 10 am," MetMalaysia said in a statement.
Yesterday, several areas and major roads around Kuala Lumpur were flooded due to the overflow of major rivers; namely Sungai Batu, Sungai Klang and Sungai Gombak.
According to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), among the affected areas were Jalan Pantai Baharu, Jalan Parlimen (Dato' Onn Roundabout), Jalan Kinabalu, Jalan Maharajalela, Jalan Travers, and Jalan Damansara (under the Semantan overpass).
Jalan Ledang, Jalan Segambut, Jalan Genting Klang (in front of Shell and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman), Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, and Jalan Sultan (Petaling Street) were also affected.
In addition, a landslide in Taman Melawati, Ampang, has caused 20 terrace houses to be cut off from the main access road. – October 16, 2024