KUALA LUMPUR: A severe thunderstorm today saw homeward-bound motorists caught in gridlock after several areas were inundated by flash floods.
The 4pm downpour, which lasted more than two hours, triggered flash floods in several areas of the Klang Valley.
These included Jalan Cheras, Kampung Cheras Baru and Jalan Lapangan Terbang in Subang.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Mohd Sani Harul said they received reports of metre-deep flood waters, but noted that no injuries were reported.
Mohd Sani said the department first received a distress call between 4pm and 5pm as the water level almost reached up to a metre deep near the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
The flash floods brought traffic to a standstill.
"Traffic slowed to a crawl for several hours, especially near the exit to the New Klang Valley Expressway," he said, adding that traffic conditions were back to normal by about 9pm.
Mohd Sani said the motorcycle lane along the Federal Highway near Subang Jaya was flooded between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.
“The floodwaters were about a metre high. Water from Sungai Damansara also overflowed there,” he said.
In Kampung Cheras, flood waters reaches up to two-metres in depth due to the failure of flood control pumping stations.
Meanwhile, stagnant water and poor drainage in Jalan Cheras headed towards Kuala Lumpur caused flash floods at 6.10pm.
"Firemen established that poor drainage led to the flash flood," he said.
Meanwhile, a City Fire and Rescue Department spokesman also cited that the construction of the mass rapid transit (MRT) system as a contributing factor.