BMKG Urges Coastal Communities To Beware Of High Waves Up To 6 Meters On May 6-7

Waves (photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) appealed to coastal communities to be aware of the potential for high waves of up to six meters that have the potential to occur in several Indonesian waters on May 6-7, 2023.

"We are advised to people who live and work on the coast around areas where high waves are likely to occur so that they remain vigilant," said Head of the Maritime Meteorology Center, BMKG, Eko Prasetyo in Jakarta Saturday.

He said the wind pattern in northern Indonesia was dominantly moving from the southwest-northwest with wind speeds ranging from 3-15 knots, while in the southern part of Indonesia it was dominantly moving from east-southeast with wind speeds ranging from 5-20 knots.

"The highest wind speed was observed in the waters of P. Simeulue to the Nias Islands and the Indian Ocean west of Aceh to the Nias Islands," he explained.

This condition, he continued, caused an opportunity to increase waves as high as 1.25-2.5 meters in the eastern waters of Simeulue Island, the western waters of the Mentawai Islands, Bengkulu waters, the waters of Enggano-barat Lampung, the Indian Ocean west of Bengkulu to Lampung, the western and southern part of the Sunda Strait.

Then the southern waters of Java to P. Sumba, the southern Indian Ocean from Java to NTT, the southern Bali-Lombok-Alas Strait, the southern Indian Ocean of NTT.

Then, the Savu Sea, the waters of the Talaud Islands, the northern Maluku Sea, the northern waters of Halmahera, the northern waters of West Papua to Papua, the northern Pacific Ocean to Halmahera to Papua, the southern Banda Sea, Sermata waters to the Tanimbar Islands, the southern waters of the Kai Islands. Aru, and the Arafuru Sea.

For water areas with high waves in the range of 2.5-4 meters, namely the western waters of Aceh and the western waters of the Nias Islands.

Meanwhile, the waters with very high waves in the range of 4-6 meters are the western waters of Simeulue Island and the western Indian Ocean of Aceh to the Mentawai Islands.

Eko Prasetyo appealed to the public to always be vigilant, especially for fishermen who are active in transportation modes such as fishing boats (wind speeds of more than 15 knots and wave heights above 1.25 m), barges (wind speeds of more than 16 knots and wave heights above 1.5 m).

Then, ferries (wind speeds of more than 21 knots and wave heights above 2.5 m), large ships such as cargo ships/cruise ships (wind speeds of more than 27 knots and wave heights above 4 meters).