KUALA LUMPUR: Floods that struck the federal capital this afternoon was due to an extraordinary rainfall, said Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
He said high rainfall readings were recorded at the Taman Desa Smart station, here, with readings of 106.5mm and 155mm at the Air Panas Station during the two hours of rain.
"On the average, the rainfall for the year is 2,500mm, with an average reading of 200mm per month, but in just two hours the reading recorded rainfall of more than 206mm, which is more than half the monthly average.
"It resulted in the existing drainage system not being able to cope with the high water flow capacity, causing water to stagnate in the area," he said at a press conference at the Smart Control Centre, here, today.
Tuan Ibrahim said the water level of Sungai Gombak in Jalan Tun Razak Station was at a danger level with a reading of 31.99m.
"The water levels of Sungai Gombak at Jalan Parlimen and Sungai Klang at the Tun Perak Bridge Station stood at 30.38m and 30.12m, respectively.
"This flash flood caused the parking area on the Besraya Highway to be flooded to a depth of 0.6m.
"An estimated 103 houses were affected around Kampung Perik and Kampung Pasir Baru, here, due to flash floods," he said.
He also advised the public, especially residents in low-lying areas, to be careful and always be vigilant during heavy rains.
"People are advised to be always on alert to the sound of flood warning sirens and also monitor the weather conditions.
"If heavy rains and high tides occur simultaneously, they must be prepared to move to a safe place and comply with the instructions of the local authorities," he said.