BMKG: The Dry Season In West Sumatra Is The Longest 2-4 Months

Illustration: Weather Forecast In West Sumatra (ANTARA/HO BMKG)

PADANG - Climatology Station of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) of West Sumatra (West Sumatra) estimates that a number of areas in the province will experience a dry season of two to four months. "In West Sumatra, the dry season is at least two to four months and experiences more rainy seasons," said Middle Meteorology and Geophysics Observer (PMG) of the West Sumatra BMKG Climatology Station Rizky Armei Saputra in Padang, Antara, Friday, August 11. The areas experiencing dry season include northern Pasaman, Limapuluh Kota Regency, Payakumbuh, eastern Agam, Tanah Datar, Bukittinggi, Solok, Solok City, Sawahlunto, Sijunjung, Dharmasraya, and eastern South Solok. During August 2023 (dry season) hit a number of areas in West Sumatra, namely Rao District, Pasaman Regency, Limapuluh Kota Regency, Payakumbuh, Tanah Datar, Sijunjung, and Solok Regency. "BMKG predicts that it is still normal, but anticipation needs to be done because the weather is very dynamic, changing and very fast," he said. He explained that there are other important factors on a global scale that affect rainfall in West Sumatra, namely the Indian Ocean Dipolemode (IOD) and short-term disruptions (intraseasional). "For the IOD the phase changes according to the sea surface anomalous temperature in the western and eastern Indian Ocean," said Risky. The positive IOD phase is often characterized by reduced rainfall from normal. On the other hand, negative IOD can increase rainfall. Especially in West Sumatra, it is more dominantly influenced by the condition of the IOD which is due to a closer distance. "Positive IODs are recorded to occur from September to November 2018 and May to November 2019," he said. In general, in 2023 BMKG predicts that the peak of El Nino will occur in October 2023. Then the Elnino Southern Oscillation (Enso) Index in August 2023 is in the moderate category with a value of 1,148. It is predicted that this condition will survive in a moderate phase until November 2023 and weaken again at the end of 2023. "Nevertheless, some of the world's meterological institutions predict El Nino's chances are strong," he said. As additional information, Enso or El Nino is a repeat climate pattern involving changes in the water temperature in the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean in the tropics. El Nino was again detected in mid-March 2023, which began with the weak index towards moderate.

El Nino's events have resulted in reduced rain cloud growth in Indonesia. This phenomenon is due to the interaction of the oceans and atoms/air that affect the world's weather and climate globally and regionally.