High Waves Of Up To 4 Meters In The Maluku Sea, BMKG Asks Fishermen To Be Alert

Illustration - Residents witness high waves in the coastal waters of Kupang City, NTT. (ANTARA/Kornelis Kaha)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of the Ambon Maritime Meteorology Station issued an early warning of high waves reaching four meters in the Maluku Sea on June 13-14, 2022.

"Waves of 2.5 meters to four meters high are likely to occur in the waters of the Tanimbar Islands and the Arafuru Sea, which pose a risk to shipping safety," said Head of the Ambon Maritime Meteorological Station Ashar in Ambon, quoted from Antara, Monday, June 13.

Waves as high as 1.25 -2.50 meters (medium) are also likely to occur in the waters of Buru, the waters of the Sermata-Leti Islands, the waters of the Babar Islands, the waters of the Ambon Island and the Lease Islands, the Kei waters, the Banda Sea, and the waters of the Aru Islands.

He said the wind pattern in the northern part of Indonesia is dominantly moving from the Southeast - Southwest with wind speeds ranging from 5-20 knots. Meanwhile, in the southern part of Indonesia, the dominant movement is from the East-Southeast with wind speeds of around 5-20 knots.

The highest wind speeds were observed in the eastern part of the Java Sea, the Sumba Strait, the waters of Kupang - Rote Island, the Banda Sea, and the Arafuru Sea. "This condition resulted in an increase in wave height around the area," he said.

BMKG appealed to the public to pay attention to the high risk of shipping safety. High risk for fishing boats, if the wind speed is more than 15 knots and the wave height is above 1.25 meters, while the barge is 16 knots with a wave height of 1.5 meters.

While the high risk for ferries with wind speeds of more than 21 knots and wave heights above 2.5 meters, and large ships, such as cargo ships or cruise ships, the risk is high if facing wind speeds above 27 knots and wave heights above 4 meters.

"People who live and work in coastal areas that are prone to high waves must always be vigilant," he said.