TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted a total of eleven provinces possibly experience floods following today’s heavy rains.

The provinces are Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Lampung, South Kalimantan, and West Sulawesi.

The agency’s head of weather alert unit Agie Wandala Putra said on Friday, January 24, that the intensity of rain in those areas is increasing. Thus, he called on the public to stay vigilant of the potential disaster.

According to Agie, within the next 24 hours until Saturday, January 25, at 7 a.m., light-intensity rains will shower Jakarta, Tangerang, and Depok, while medium to heavy downpours will likely hit Bogor and Bekasi.

The head of meteorology unit R. Mulyono R. Prabowo added in a written statement today that there will be cyclonic circulation around the Indian Ocean south of Lampung on January 24-26 that possibly raises the potential growth of rain clouds in western areas of Indonesia.

Throughout January 24-26, heavy rains with thunderstorms are forecasted to hit North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, Lampung.

Additionally, Banten, Jakarta, West Jakarta, Central Jakarta, Yogyakarta, East Java, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, and Papua will likely have stormy weather as well, raising the flood potential.

ANWAR SISWADI