JOHOR BARU - A heavy two-hour downpour has resulted in massive flash floods in parts of Johor Baru on Monday (Nov 16), trapping some motorists in their cars and forcing police to close off some roads, media reports said.

Dozens of cars were submerged following the downpour, which started at 11am, with Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Sultan Ibrahim along Danga Bay the worst hit, The Star reported.

Many basement carparks in the city centre were also submerged due to the heavy downpour, the report said.

Traffic was also at standstill at all major roads leading into the city.

The Rakyat Post said three motorists were trapped in their cars after their vehicles' were stuck in a flash flood along the busy Jalan Wong Ah Fook, where the popular City Square Johor Baru shopping complex and the Komtar JBCC mall are located.

A Johor Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson was quoted as saying they dispatched a team from the Johor Baru fire station after receiving a distress call at 12.48pm.

"The team arrived at the scene at 1pm and immediately gave assistance," said the spokesperson, adding that there were no casualties.

The three were among 20 cars stranded along the stretch after it was flooded for about two hours following continuous heavy downpour at 12pm, said the Rakyat Post.

Johor Baru Selatan police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulaiman Salleh said water levels rose to as high as 1.5 metres, causing the stretch to be inaccessible to vehicles.

"Police were called in and we immediately closed the road and diverted traffic flow as the water level rose," he told the Rakyat Post.

"There were 20 cars that were stuck in the flash flood along Jalan Wong Ah Fook," he said

Sulaiman said there were no casualties or injuries reported and police had normalised the traffic flow when the water level started receding at 2.15pm as the rain stopped.

He advised motorists to avoid the affected parts of the city centre and use alternate routes.