The basement of Dataran Merdeka resembles a huge swimming pool. At 5pm today, the underground carpark and mall known as Plaza Putra were under two metres of water at one end and about three metres at the other.

All this, the result of yesterday's two-hour deluge from 4pm, which wreaked havoc in and around Kuala Lumpur.

The independent contractor that KL City Hall has appointed to drain the water estimates that the team of workers will probably need another eight hours to complete the work.