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The Star
24-05-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Rain still pours across Indonesia with ‘wet dry season' expected until June
JAKARTA: While Indonesia typically starts entering the dry season around April, heavy rainfall has continued in most parts of the country in the past few weeks, with the 'wet dry season' expected to last until early June. Earlier this year, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasted that Indonesia would see a normal dry season that would start in most areas in April and was expected to reach its peak between June and August. A normal dry season occurs when there is not a dominant El Niño weather pattern. El Niño tends to bring drier air to the archipelago, resulting in a prolonged dry season. But in its latest reports, the weather agency forecasted that the dry season would start later in some areas. It will also be shorter in most regions. In a forecast report issued on Thursday, BMKG recorded that 73 percent of the archipelago is still experiencing a wet season, which usually falls from October to April. Most regions see clear weather between morning and early afternoon, followed by thunderstorms that last until the evening. 'The weather dynamics in most parts of Indonesia show a transitional period between the rainy and dry season, which is locally known as pancaroba,' the agency wrote. The wetter start of the dry season could be attributed to some atmospheric phenomena, such as Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), a moving pulse of wind, cloud and atmospheric pressure that brings extra water vapor to form clouds in the sky. The MJO contributes to the formation of rain clouds and triggers more rain, particularly in the southern and central parts of the country, according to BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati. The Indonesian archipelago's location near the equator allows the country to be exposed to regular amounts of sunlight, leading to a greater chance of precipitation. 'In general, rain intensity is expected to start decreasing by the end of May until early June,' Dwikorita said. Anomalous, yet normal The shift between the rainy and dry season in Indonesia is mostly influenced by the monsoons, a seasonal prevailing wind that lasts for several months. When the wind blows from Asia to Indonesia, it brings moist air from the South China Sea, triggering the rainy season in the country from October and March. But when the other monsoon blows from April to November, the wind is dry as it passes through the desert areas in the northern part of Australia. This monsoon results in decreased rainfall in Indonesia, triggering a dry season across the archipelago. In May this year, Indonesia is experiencing stronger Asian monsoon winds compared to the average of the last two decades, said meteorologist Deni Septiadi from the State College of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (STMKG). The strong monsoon winds from Asia, he added, are disrupting the timing and strength of their counterpart that blows from Australia. Deni said the phenomenon could be attributed to several factors: 'One of them could be the heavily concentrated rain clouds over Indonesia. At the same time, the Asian monsoon is still blowing strong.' Despite the late start of the dry season, BMKG meteorology deputy Guswanto said that the condition is still considered normal as the country is in the pancaroba phase, which usually features high humidity and increasing sea temperatures that can fuel the formation of rain clouds. 'Now we're still in the pancaroba phase, which means that the wet dry season may be observable in several areas where rain still falls,' Guswanto said. Pancaroba can occur twice a year for three months each during the transition from the dry to wet season and vice versa. Based on the current timing, the dry season will fall in most parts of the country from June to August, followed by pancaroba in September and then a wet season from December, according to Guswanto. Personnel of a joint search and rescue team break down a house buried in a landslide triggered by torrential rains in Trenggalek, East Java on Thursday, the third day of a search and rescue operation to locate six missing people. - Photo: Antara Disaster warning Guswanto said that a silver lining to the wetter start of the dry season is that the weather can help boost crop output. Meanwhile, Dwikorita urged the public to stay alert about the possibility of heavy rain that can trigger disasters, even as rain intensity is expected to decrease. Heavy rain in Jakarta on Wednesday inundated at least two neighborhood units (RT) and four major roads, causing heavy traffic that lasted until late at night. High rain intensity also triggered a flood in South Barito regency in Central Kalimantan early Thursday morning, affecting nearly 7,000 people and inundating more than 1,300 houses and public buildings. Torrential rain also triggered landslides in Trenggalek, East Java and Mimika, Central Papua, with dozens of people trapped and missing in both locations. BMKG warned that thunderstorms and strong winds can still occur in several regions, such as across Java Island, North Sumatra, Central Kalimantan, Maluku and South Papua. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Reuters
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Indonesia predicted to have normal dry season this year, agency says
JAKARTA, March 13 (Reuters) - Indonesia is expected to witness a normal dry season in 2025, following a similar pattern to last year, the country's weather agency said on Thursday, even as it highlighted risks of forest fires and drought in some areas. The dry season will start in most areas in April and is expected to reach its peak in June up until August, the agency's climatology deputy Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan told reporters in a briefing. "There is no dominant El Nino weather pattern, so this year's dry season prediction is relatively normal, tending to be similar to 2024 and not as dry as 2023," he said. Indonesia's dry season in 2023 was the most severe since 2019 due to El Nino weather phenomenon that lasted longer than usual, bringing a drought that damaged crops and exacerbated forest fires. Detailing this year's prediction, the agency said a normal dry season would occur in most areas in Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Papua islands. However, the dry season will be more severe in some provinces such as North Sumatra, West Borneo, Central Sulawesi, North Maluku, and South Papua, the agency's head Dwikorita Karnawati said. The agency highlighted the risk of forest fires in northern parts of Sumatra islands and southern parts of Borneo islands in June until August, or during the peak of the dry season. Drought is also expected in some areas of the eastern parts of Java, Nusa Tenggara and Bali islands in July until September this year, Dwikorita added. "We urge farmers to adjust cultivation schedules and manage water use well and efficiently," she said. Heavy rains fell in some parts of Indonesia from January to March, the agency had said. Torrential rain in early March had triggered floods of up to 3-metres in and around Indonesia's capital Jakarta and forced thousands to be evacuated.
Al Jazeera
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Indonesia uses cloud seeding to stop heavy rains as floods hit Jakarta
Indonesian authorities are using cloud seeding to mitigate heavy rainfall that has caused severe flooding in the capital, Jakarta, and its surrounding areas, killing at least one person and displacing thousands. The deluge, which began on Monday, has affected Jakarta, home to about 11 million people, along with the neighbouring cities of Bogor, Bekasi, and Tangerang. Authorities said the rains could persist until March 11 and have taken preemptive measures to reduce further damage. At least 2,200 people have been displaced, with some seeking safety on rooftops or using ropes to wade through the rising waters. Cloud seeding, a technique that involves releasing salt or other chemicals into clouds to trigger rain, aims to steer rainfall away from flood-hit areas or limit the formation of heavier downpours. The operation is expected to continue until Saturday, focusing on mountainous areas in West Java province, where rainfall often flows into the capital. 'We can't prevent the rain, that's impossible, but we can reduce the intensity,' Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia's weather agency, told reporters on Tuesday. 'We can't let the clouds get too big, so we will make it come down little by little.' Rescue teams have deployed rubber boats and relief supplies to the worst-hit areas, evacuating residents or assisting those reluctant to leave their homes. Jakarta, a low-lying city, is prone to flooding during the wet season, which lasts from November to March. In 2020, torrential rains triggered devastating floods and landslides in the region, killing nearly 70 people and displacing thousands.
Gulf Today
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Gulf Today
Floods in Indonesia's capital displace thousands
Thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Tuesday after floods swamped the region, officials said, with heavy rain expected to continue until next week. Torrential rain since Monday has triggered floods of up to 3-metres (yards) in and around Jakarta, the country's disaster agency said in a statement, blocking some roads and submerging over 1,000 houses and many cars. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung raised the alert level to the second highest of the critical stages, calling on the local government to activate water pumps to extract water from flooded areas and conduct weather modification operations - which typically includes shooting salt flares into clouds to trigger rain before they reach land. Local media reported floodwaters also swamped a hospital in the eastern town of Bekasi, with water entering some wards, forcing the evacuation of patients to other buildings, while other parts of the hospital were hit by power outages. Rescuers on rubber boats sailed through thigh-high water to evacuate residents that had been trapped in floods since 4 a.m. (2100 GMT) at a housing complex in Bekasi, Reuters reporters said. The country's weather agency warned that heavy rain is forecast to hit the capital and surrounding cities until March 11. "We need to be alert... But hopefully the weather modification could reduce rainfall," said the agency's head Dwikorita Karnawati. Sri Suyatni, 50, said she did not have time to collect her belongings before evacuating and her entire house was submerged in flood water. "I hope the floods will soon recede," she said. The government has started building temporary shelters and distributing foods, clothes, and medications for the evacuees, said social affairs minister Saifullah Yusuf. Residents were also evacuated to schools, mosques and churches. The Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, is regularly hit by floods. But several local media reported the current situation, particularly in Bekasi, was the worst since 2020. Floods killed 60 in Jakarta in 2020, following the heaviest one-day rainfall since records began in 1866.
Voice of America
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Voice of America
Floods in Indonesia's capital displace thousands
Thousands of people were evacuated in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Tuesday after floods swamped the region, officials said, with heavy rain expected to continue until next week. Torrential rain since Monday has triggered floods of up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) in and around Jakarta, the country's disaster agency said in a statement, blocking some roads and submerging over 1,000 houses and many cars. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung raised the alert level to the second highest of the critical stages, calling on the local government to activate water pumps to extract water from flooded areas and conduct weather modification operations — which typically includes shooting salt flares into clouds to trigger rain before they reach land. Local media reported floodwaters also swamped a hospital in the eastern town of Bekasi, with water entering some wards, forcing the evacuation of patients to other buildings, while other parts of the hospital were hit by power outages. Rescuers on rubber boats sailed through thigh-high water to evacuate residents that had been trapped in floods since 4 a.m. (2100 GMT) at a housing complex in Bekasi, Reuters reporters said. The country's weather agency warned that heavy rain is forecast to hit the capital and surrounding cities until March 11. "We need to be alert. ... But hopefully the weather modification could reduce rainfall," said the agency's head Dwikorita Karnawati. Sri Suyatni, 50, said she did not have time to collect her belongings before evacuating and her entire house was submerged in flood water. "I hope the floods will soon recede," she said. The government has started building temporary shelters and distributing foods, clothes, and medications for the evacuees, said social affairs minister Saifullah Yusuf. Residents were also evacuated to schools, mosques and churches. The Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, home to more than 30 million people, is regularly hit by floods. But several local media reported the current situation, particularly in Bekasi, was the worst since 2020. Floods killed 60 in Jakarta in 2020, following the heaviest one-day rainfall since records began in 1866.
