Beware of Heavy Rain and Lightning in South Sulawesi Today

KENDARI - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) urges people in a number of areas in the Southeast Sulawesi Province (Sultra) to be aware of the potential for moderate to heavy intensity rain which may be accompanied by lightning and strong winds today, Tuesday, April 21.

The Coordinator for Observation and Information of the Kendari Maritime Meteorological Station, Faizal Habibie, when contacted in Kendari, Tuesday, said that the early warning was focused on land areas that had the potential for significant convective cloud growth.

"People in Kolaka and North Kolaka Regency need to increase their vigilance against the potential for moderate to heavy rain accompanied by thunder and strong winds, especially during the day and afternoon," said Faizal Habibie, quoted by Antara, Tuesday morning.

He said that based on the weather forecast for April 21, 2026, the weather conditions in the South Sulawesi region in the morning were generally sunny to cloudy. However, weather changes began to occur in the afternoon with the potential for moderate rain in a small part of Kolaka and North Kolaka, and light rain in a small part of Konawe.

"Then, at night, BMKG predicts that light rain is still potentially occurring in the Kolaka Regency area, while in the early morning the weather in most areas of Southeast Sulawesi is expected to be dominated by cloudy conditions," he said.

Faizal Habibie explained that today's air temperature is estimated to be in the range of 24 to 34 degrees Celsius with air humidity reaching 60 to 95 percent. The wind blows from the northeast to the southeast with a speed of between 2 to 20 kilometers per hour.

"High humidity and quite hot temperatures during the day trigger the potential for sudden extreme weather. We continue to monitor cloud movement through satellite images," explained Faizal Habibie.

He also added that his party asked residents to be careful of the effects of the weather, such as reduced visibility and slippery road conditions. More complete and updated weather information can be accessed by the public through the official website at https://cuaca.bmkg.go.id/.