TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted that Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi have started to enter the rain season early this month. BMKG head Andi Eka Sakya said rain distribution showed on satellite and radar images revealed that rains have started to pour in a number of areas.
“Jakarta is no longer having an extreme weather, but heavy rain with lightning would occur in the afternoon,” Andi said on Saturday, November 1, 2014, adding that temperature in Jakarta has dropped to 29.3 to 34.5 degree Celcius.
Andi also predicted that the peak of the rain season will occur in January-February 2015, with less frequency but higher precipitation. BMKG climatology deputy Widada Sulistya predicted that the precipitation in early 2015 will be similar to that in 2015 and lower than in 2013, at about 50 to 100 millimeters per day. With such intensity, heavy rain in a long period should be anticipated since it may cause flooding.
Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Bambang Musyawardana said his agency is ready to anticipate floods and has coordinated with 29 work units. Bambang is optimistic that floods in 2015 would not be as severe as those in 2014, since the government has made preventive efforts, such as river normalization, dredging, dam improvement and others.
AFRILIA SURYANIS | ERWAN HERMAWAN
