TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In response to rumors rife on social media regarding extreme hot air that might hit several regions of Indonesia, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) clarified that the information was false or a hoax.

“It is not correct,” said the agency's head of climate and air quality division, Hary Djatmiko, via a short message, Wednesday, October 23.

The rumor said that based on the NASA satellite, South Tangerang, Banten, and Malang would see a temperature of 44 degrees Celcius, even in Pekanbaru the temperature might reach 45°C in the next three days, as well as Papua New Guinea that might have 50°C.

On October 20, three agency's observation stations in Sulawesi recorded temperatures of 38.8°C in Makassar, 38.3° C in Maros, and 37.8° C in Sangia Ni Bandera.

The temperatures were the highest since the past year. Last year’s October, it was recorded at 37°C.

Meanwhile, at the meteorology stations in Java until Nusa Tenggara islands, the maximum air temperature was recorded between 35°C until 36.5°C throughout Oct 19-20, 2019.

“Based on the heat distribution, the dominant heat occurs in the south of the equator, this is strongly attributable to the sun’s motion,” said BMKG deputy for meteorologist R. Mulyono R. Prabowo in a statement, October 20.

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI