[TudareWQT]

KUALA LUMPUR - A freak storm wreaked havoc in the city with Taman Desa being hit the hardest fallen trees left many roads there inaccessible to traffic with several residents finding their vehicles damaged by uprooted trees and flying roofs.

The heavy rains also caused a traffic gridlock at various parts of the city.

Motorists stuck in the traffic jam sent out tweets, alerting others to the crawl along a number of roads and highways.

Others tweeted about the situation in Taman Desa, saying it looked like "a war zone".

Power supply to many houses in Taman Desa was also disrupted temporarily.

Copywriter K. Anuradha, 40, found her car damaged when an uprooted tree landed on it near her home at Danau Idaman Condominium around 6pm yesterday.

Anuradha said she was informed by the condominium security around 7pm that a tree about 15m-tall had fallen on her car.

She added that lamp posts fell near the main road, most of the shops were damaged and the road leading out to the East-West link highway was blocked by fallen trees, which were later cleared by City Hall.

Part of the roof of the Gemilang Indah Condo in Old Klang Road flew off at the height of the storm and fell on three cars.

Office manager V. Kumaran, 53, said the debris smashed the screens of the cars parked on the ground floor.

A similar scene could be seen at the 17-storey PPR Sri Chempaka in Pantai Dalam after its zinc roof and wooden beams flew off and crashed on a few cars and motorcycles.

Housewife Maimunah Ahmad, 48, said the wind was so strong that she thought the building was falling apart.

"My husband returned just before the storm at around 6.30pm and we heard a loud noise about 10 minutes later .

"When we looked down, motorcycles and cars were covered by zinc roofs and wooden beams," she said.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department issued an official statement announcing thunderstorms and heavy rain warning ("orange alert") at 6.32pm yesterday.

"Scattered thunderstorms and heavy rain occuring over Kuala Lumpur and states of Selangor (Hulu Selangor, Gombak, Petaling and Kuala Selangor Districts) are expected to persist until night.

"This condition will cause strong winds and flash floods," the statement said.