10 Menit Angin Kencang Terjang Pulau Adonara NTT, Tenda di Rumah Almarhum Frans Lebu Raya Roboh

KUPANG - Strong winds hit the Adonara Island area, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to damage a number of houses in the local area. According to residents' testimonies, strong winds lasted about 10 minutes and uprooted many trees.

"Strong winds and heavy rain that occurred around 16.30 WITA damaged several houses around us", said a resident of Watoone Village on Adonara Island, Bernadus, when confirmed from Kupang, Antara, Thursday, December 23.

Very strong wind conditions lasted about 10 minutes and after that it continued for more than 30 minutes but not as strong as the first time.

Bernadus said that apart from causing damage to the roof of the house, the strong winds also knocked down the tents installed at the house of the former Governor of NTT, the late Frans Lebu Raya in Watoone Village.

"Trees around people's houses have also fallen, making residents afraid", he said.

The same thing was conveyed by residents of Lamablawa Village, Adonara Island, Noven. He said strong winds and rain lasted long enough to cause damage to residents' houses.

"There are houses with broken windows and doors, there are also damaged roofs, but I don't know until the houses are affected because everyone in the village does not leave their houses", he said.

He said the most worrying impact was the falling of trees such as coconuts and being around people's homes. Noven added that apart from the damage to houses, the electricity supply in the local village was also cut off after the strong winds.

Meanwhile, Head of the El Tari Kupang Meteorological Station, Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Agung Sudiono, explained that the NTT area is currently being hit by extreme weather due to the cyclonic circulation pattern (vortex) formed in the Timor-Arafura Sea and is indicated as a suspect area for tropical cyclones.

He explained that the indicated suspect area was moving slowly towards the southwest towards the south of NTT or in the waters of northern Australia.

This condition has an impact on the growth of rain clouds in NTT so that people must increase their awareness of the effects of extreme weather such as heavy rain accompanied by lightning and strong winds.

"This extreme weather condition is expected to last until December 27, 2021", said Agung.