The Public is Asked to be Aware of Extreme Weather Entering the Changeover Phase From Dry to Rainy Season

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) urges the public to be aware of the potential for extreme weather during the transition period from the dry season to the rainy season.

"Extreme weather has a big potential to occur during the transition season. Starting from heavy rain accompanied by lightning, strong winds and hail," said BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati in a statement in Jakarta, Monday.

He stated that the direction the wind blows varies greatly, resulting in weather conditions that can suddenly change from hot to rainy or vice versa. However, in general, the weather is usually sunny in the morning, then during the day clouds start to grow, and it rains towards the afternoon or evening.

He said that Cumulonimbus (CB) clouds usually grow in the morning before noon, they are shaped like cauliflowers, the color is gray with clear edges. However, towards the afternoon, these clouds will turn dark which can then cause rain, lightning, and wind.

“Rainfall can be one of the triggers for wet hydrometeorological disasters, such as flash floods and landslides. "Therefore, to people who live in hilly areas that are prone to landslides, we urge them to be alert and careful," he said.

Dwikorita said that BMKG predicts that the start of the 2023/2024 rainy season will generally occur in October-December 2023, namely 477 Seasonal Zones (ZOM) or 68.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the peak of the rainy season is generally predicted to be in January-February 2024, namely 385 ZOM (55.1 percent).

Meanwhile, the nature of rain during the 2023/2024 Rainy Season is predicted to be normal at 566 ZOM (80.9 percent), above normal at 69 ZOM (9.9 percent), and below normal at 64 ZOM (9.2 percent).

For this reason, Dwikorita also asked ministries/institutions, regional governments, and related institutions to take mitigation steps against the possibility of hydrometeorological disasters occurring during the rainy season, especially in areas that experience the Upper Normal Rainy Season (wetter than usual).

"The area is predicted to experience an increased risk of floods and landslides," he said.

Apart from that, said Dwikorita, it is hoped that the Regional Government can be more optimal in educating the public about how to deal with the risk of disasters that may occur during the rainy season and the importance of paying attention to early warnings.

"It is also hoped that local governments and related sectors can use this 2023/2024 Rainy Season Forecast information as a reference for preparing Early Action plans, in order to reduce losses that could be caused by hydrometeorological disasters," he said.