Storm causes havoc

Storm causes havoc
The Star Penang 4/4/2005 By K. KASTURI DEWI and TAN SIN CHOW

WINDS blowing at 40km per hour wreaked havoc in various places in Penang yesterday. Trees were uprooted and roofs and signboards blown off.

The hour-long winds also ripped off several windowpanes of the Northern Tower building in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. The panes came crashing down on the nearby car park of the Gleneagles Medical Centre.

Traffic came to a crawl along several roads as motorists had to slow down to avoid being hit by falling tree branches.

A state Metereological Department spokesman said the thunderstorm started at 4.30pm and lasted for almost an hour.

The thunderstorm damaged the roof of this four-storey apartment building in Batu Lanchang.

There were no reports of casualties.

The spokesman said there was no cause for alarm as a thunderstorm is usual during the inter-monsoon climatic change.

Trees were reportedly uprooted at Lintang Batu Lanchang, Balik Pulau, Jalan Tengku Kudin, Batu Ferringhi and Jalan Relau.

A large tree fell onto Burmah Road causing a traffic jam. Firemen, armed with chain saws, later cleared the road.

Librarian Latifah Ibrahim, 50, who stays at the top floor of an apartment block in Lebuhraya Batu Lanchang, was shocked to find the rooftop blown off.

”Now water is seeping into my flat damaging my mattress, kitchen cabinet and wardrobe,” said Latifah who stays at the 16th floor of Taman Seri Damai.

“I was drying clothes at the balcony when the strong winds struck at 4.15pm blowing off the zinc roofing.

“I immediately told my two daughters who were watching television to switch off the set and to run down,” she said.

Latifah added she would spend a night in her mother-in-law’s house at Jalan Kebun Nyiur, Datuk Keramat, before returning to her flat to clean up.