What is El Nino Godzilla? This is the Explanation and its Impact on Indonesia

Illustration (Freepik/Iftikhar Alam)

YOGYAKARTA - The Godzilla El Nino phenomenon is predicted to make the weather hotter in a number of countries during the dry season this year. In Indonesia, this phenomenon is expected to occur between April and October. This phenomenon is a public concern because its impact can be greater than the usual El Nino, especially for the agricultural sector and water availability.

So, what is El Nino Godzilla and what are the impacts it can cause? Reported from various sources, here is the discussion.

What is El Nino Godzilla?

In general, El Nino is a phenomenon of warming the sea surface temperature in the central to eastern Pacific Ocean. The term El Nino itself comes from the Spanish language which means "boy", which was originally used by fishermen in Peru to mark the warm ocean currents before Christmas.

According to BMKG, El Nino can cause different impacts in every region of the world. In South America such as Peru, this phenomenon actually increases rainfall. Meanwhile, Indonesia usually experiences drier conditions with a decrease in rainfall.

The term El Nino Godzilla itself is a popular term to describe El Nino with an intensity that is much stronger than the usual El Nino. This term was popularized by NASA climatologist Bill Patzert in 2015 to describe the 2015-2016 El Nino phenomenon which is the strongest El Nino in modern history.

El Nino with high intensity occurs when the heating of sea temperatures in the Pacific extends and is far beyond normal temperatures. This condition triggers major changes in global atmospheric circulation. As a result, rainfall patterns change drastically, including reduced rainfall in tropical areas such as Indonesia.

This phenomenon has a significant impact on the agricultural sector, especially those that require large amounts of water. In addition, the lack of water supply can also have an impact on reducing crop yields.

In addition to the agricultural sector, prolonged drought can also disrupt the supply of clean water for the community. In addition, the risk of forest and land fires also increases due to drier conditions.

Potential El Nino Affected Areas

The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) predicts that the impact of El Nino in 2026 will not be evenly distributed throughout Indonesia. A number of regions are predicted to experience drought, while other regions are flooded with rain. This is due to the difference in atmospheric and sea conditions in each region.

According to BRIN, some of the most vulnerable areas to drought are:

Java IslandBaliNusa Tenggara

Meanwhile, the areas that are expected to experience heavy rainfall are:

SulawesiHalmaheraMaluku

Thus, the impact of El Nino in Indonesia is not uniform in every region. Therefore, mitigation strategies must be adjusted to the characteristics of each region. The public is urged to continue to monitor official information from the BMKG so that they are better prepared to face extreme weather changes.

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