Despite El Nino, BMKG Reminds West Sumatra That Flood Potential Is Still Overshadowed

Illustration of lightning grabbing fields ahead of heavy rain accompanied by strong winds. (Pixabay)

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of BIM Station reminded that despite the El Nino phenomenon, the potential for flooding due to extreme rain still occurs in the coastal area of West Sumatra (West Sumatra).

"In general, El Nino causes drought due to low rainfall. But specifically for the coastal areas of West Sumatra, the potential for extreme rain is still there," said BMKG Observation and Information Coordinator at BIM Station, Yudha Nugraha in Padang, West Sumatra, Thursday, August 10, confiscated by Antara.

This, he said, was due to the coastal areas of West Sumatra, starting from Pesisir Selatan, Padang, Padang Pariaman, Pariaman, Agam, to Pasaman, dealing directly with the sea which was the main supplier of water vapor.

"So even though there is dry conditions because there is not long enough rain, the potential for extreme rain is still there," he said.

BMKG noted that since July 2023, the El Nino phenomenon has generally been felt in West Sumatra. The condition of the rainy day incident is less in most parts of the province.

However, for the west coast, he said, an anomaly occurred because the accumulation of rainfall also increased by more than 300 ml.

"This anomaly returns to the cause, because the area directly borders the sea, the largest supplier of water vapor. After several days of hot weather, extreme rain can suddenly occur that triggers flooding," he said.

The unique characteristics of the coastal area of West Sumatra, according to him, should be the attention of the local government (Pemda) because of the potential for disasters that can occur more.

"At one time there could be forest fires due to drought, but there is also a threat of extreme rain to flooding due to weather anomalies," he said.