Lightning Potential In Cilacap High Because It's Close To The Sea, BMKG: Lightning Type Cloud To Ground, Usually Triggered By Cb Clouds
JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of the Banjarnegara Geophysics Station appealed to people in the Central Java region to be aware of the increase in the frequency of lightning strikes that could potentially occur at the peak of the rainy season.
Head of BMKG Banjarnegara Geophysics Station Setyoadjie Prayoedie said that November to January is projected to be the peak of the rainy season. So it's not just the public, business actors are urged to be vigilant and take anticipatory steps to minimize the impact of lightning strikes.
Related to the fire incident of Tank 36 T-102 in the PT Refinery Pertamina Internasional (KPI) Cilacap Unit area on Saturday (13/11) night which was allegedly caused by a lightning strike, he admitted that the potential for lightning strikes in the Cilacap area was high because it was close to the sea.
"If we see, the type of lightning is CG. Type CG is Cloud to Ground (from cloud to ground, ed.), so usually these types of CG are triggered by Cb (Cumulonimbus) clouds. If Cumulonimbus is related to rain, it is very possible from (the direction of) the sea," said Setyoadjie, quoted from Antara, Monday, November 15.
Previously, the Head of BMKG Meteorological Station Tunggul Wulung Cilacap Taruna Mona Rachman said from the lightning detection tool at the BMKG Banjarnegara Geophysics Station, an analysis was obtained that on Saturday (11/13), at 18.00 WIB to 19.30 WIB, there were two lightning strikes.
According to him, the first lightning strike occurred at 18:47 WIB, while the second occurred at 19:23 WIB.
"The closest lightning strike to the refinery area occurred at 18.47 WIB in the 27th second," he said at a press conference attended by the Central Java Regional Police Chief Inspector General of Police Ahmad Luthfi at the Patra Graha Building PT KPI Unit Cilacap, Monday (15/11).
Meanwhile, Central Java Police Chief Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi said his party had examined six witnesses related to the fire of Tank 36 T-102 in the PT KPI Unit Cilacap area, five of whom were external to Pertamina.
According to him, the five witnesses from external parties confirmed that on Saturday (13/11) night when the fire broke out, it was raining with lightning in the vicinity of the incident.
He said this was reinforced by witness testimony from BMKG Meteorological Station Tunggul Wulung Cilacap which stated that on the D day there were two lightning points with a distance of 45 kilometers and 12 kilometers.
"This will later be strengthened by information from experts about how the lightning conditions can cause induction which results in flashes of light," he said.
In addition to witnesses, he said, his party has also examined video recordings from seven monitoring cameras (CCTV), two of which show that at 19.10 WIB there was a flash of lightning followed by a fire.
Based on the testimony of witnesses from BMKG and internal Pertamina, he continued, his party suspected that the fire in Tank 36 T-102 was caused by an induction due to a lightning strike.
"There is no negligence or sabotage in this incident," said the Kapolda asserted.
As reported, the fire in Tank 36 T-102 that occurred on Saturday, November 13 at 19.10 WIB, was successfully extinguished at 23.05 WIB by deploying a High Capacity Foam Monitor, while the surrounding tanks were also cooled with water sprinklers to prevent it from spreading. fire.
However, the foam that isolated Tank 36 T-102 was opened, causing another fire to occur. After optimal efforts were made, the fire in the tank containing the Pertalite component was successfully extinguished on Sunday, November 14 at 07.45 WIB, and was declared safe at 09.15 WIB.