PRESENT POINT POWER

An extraordinary downpour lasting an hour caused havocs to quite a few areas in Kuala Lumpur which had been experiencing high temperature and hazy condition for the past week.

Many trees were uprooted and caused slowing down in traffic along Jalan Genting Kelang near Danu Kota and elsewhere

The worst hit place seems to be a luxury car Exhibition Centre (to showcase new and used luxury cars) depot along Jalan Usahawan 5 in Setapak.

The Car Exhibition Center in Setapak;
Below: The Collapsed Newly Built Car Shelter

Below: Some of the 30 damaged Used luxury cars

The newly built structure under a gust of strong wind collapsed at about 2.30 pm badly damaging 30 mostly used luxury cars parked under the steel and zinc structures. 50 cars were parked there. There were no casualties as several of the workers there scarambled out in time.

The storm also uprooted trees in Taman Senu, Sentul at about 3 pm where 5 houses were damaged when trees fell on them. Two cars were also affected. It took the Civil defense department an hour to clear up the mess.

The uprooted trees in Taman Senu, Sentul, damaning houses
Below: Civil Defence personnel using the Chainsaw to trim trees

Elsewhere in Taman Menjalara, Kepong many trees were also uprooted.

Above: Two of the uprooted trees in Kepong
Below: The collapse of the flimsy porch

When the wind blows, it blows in one direction? Bukit Damansara was on its “war’ path and there were much destruction and damages and so is Sri Hartamas, Bukit Tunku and Jalan Dut

…and from the Sunday Star, Sunday July 23, 2006

Storm sends roof tiles and Astro dishes flying BY ROYCE CHEAH AND ALEX HOOI

KUALA LUMPUR: Roof tiles, water tank covers and even Astro satellite dishes were sent flying yesterday in the Bukit Damansara area here. It was not a scene out of a movie but the worst-ever storm to have hit the area, according to residents.

The strong wind and rain, which started about 1.40pm, also uprooted more than 30 trees and damaged at least three cars. It resulted in a power outage in the upmarket precinct that lasted more than eight hours.

Apartment dweller Kelvin Miranda, 36, said he saw roof tiles, water tank covers, bricks and satellite dishes flying across the sky.

“One brick hit the roof of my apartment, causing water to pour in. The heavy rain seemed to be moving horizontally instead of vertically. My unit was flooded.” Norazizi Abdul Aziz, 42, and June Lim, 51, described the storm as the worst they had experienced. Norazizi has been staying in the area for 10 years while Lim has lived there for 21 years.

Along Jalan Beringin – the main road surrounding the Bukit Damansara area – more than 20 trees snapped, obstructing traffic. Julia Woodman, 43, from Britain, said the wall around her house was damaged while a few trees fell into her swimming pool.

A tree also fell onto the car of a taekwondo teacher, damaging it. Chong Chung Fui, 21, said he was conducting his class at SK Bukit Damansara in Jalan Beringin when the storm struck.

“I thought nothing of the rain then. I only realised that my car was damaged after the class,” he said. Security guard Dom Prasad Lamsal, 32, said he witnessed trees snapping when a strong gust of wind blew.

“The first gust was very strong, but it was the second gust that fell the trees,” he said, adding that he felt afraid then.

Within an hour of the storm, City Hall workers and Fire and Rescue Department officials were at the affected areas to clear the debris and fallen trees. The clearing work took about three hours.

Later in the day, another storm struck areas such as Sri Hartamas, Bukit Tunku and Jalan Duta. According to the Meteorological Services Department, severe thunderstorms and scattered rain are expected to hit the Klang Valley for the next two or three days.

The department's principal assistant director Wong Teck Kiong said a hailstorm was a common phenomenon that occurred during severe thunderstorms. However, the department did not detect a hailstorm from its satellite reading yesterday – only severe thunderstorms.

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A Note on Weather

If you ask the weathermen, they can tell you the weather is due to changes in pressures and temperatures that cause the movement of air to a low pressure region from a high one.

We must try to understand , the weather faithfully reflects the feelings of individuals in any given local territory. Overall weather patterns follow deeper inner rhythms of emotion. We do not simply react to the weather, we also help to form it