Beware of the next week! Heavy rain inundates Jakarta to the Thousand Islands

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicts heavy to very heavy rain in the five administrative cities of DKI Jakarta and the Thousand Islands Regency until the weekend.

Heavy to very heavy rain potential takes place from February 24 to 28, 2026. Head of the DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Isnawa Adji appealed to the public to prioritize preparedness.

"The public is urged to always be alert and ready to anticipate the impact of extreme weather. Prepare an umbrella or raincoat, as well as a disaster standby bag," said Isnawa in his statement, Wednesday, February 25.

If the public finds an emergency that requires help, Isnawa asks to immediately contact the Jakarta Siaga 112 call center.

Meanwhile, BMKG predicts that light to moderate rain is still potentially occurring in DKI Jakarta at least until the end of February 2026.

"Based on the monthly rainfall climate forecast, in February 2026 rainfall in Indonesia is generally in the low to high category," said the Head of the BMKG Weather Prediction and Early Warning Working Team, Ida Pramuwardani, to reporters.

In February, very high rainfall with an intensity of more than 500 mm per month is likely to occur in West Java, Central Java, East Nusa Tenggara, and South Sulawesi.

Then in March 2026, rainfall is generally predicted to be in the medium to high category. Very high rainfall (>500mm/month) has the potential to occur in West Java, Central Java, South Sulawesi, and Papua.

Ida explained that the areas that are relatively more prone to heavy rain are areas that often become the location of the growth of intense convective clouds and the strengthening of orographic rain.

"In general, the areas that are relatively more prone to heavy rain are areas that often become the location of the growth of intense convective clouds and the strengthening of orographic rain, such as the western coastal areas and mountainous areas and slopes," he said.

Meanwhile, the potential for strong winds is more often increased in coastal areas and open waters, as well as around thunderstorms or heavy rain that can trigger sudden gusts on a local scale.

Ida explained that the potential for significant rain in recent days was triggered by rapid changes in atmospheric dynamics that made the rain clouds develop more intensively in a number of areas.

"The potential for significant rainfall in recent days is triggered by rapid changes in atmospheric dynamics that cause rain clouds to develop more intensively in some areas," he said.

The increase in rain is related to the strengthening of the Asian Monsoon which brings strong westerly winds and accelerates the formation of convective clouds in the western and southern regions of Indonesia.

In addition, the negative Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) anomaly in a number of regions of Indonesia indicates that thick cloud cover is expanding. This condition is strengthened by the activity of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in the western part of Indonesia which increases rainfall in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and North Sulawesi.

The combined activity of the Equatorial Rossby Waves and Kelvin Waves in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua also strengthens the convection process that triggers heavy rain.