TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of possible high waves of up to six meters in the Indian Ocean south of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to Sumba today, January 26. The Flores Sea and southern waters of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) are also among areas receiving early warnings for strong winds up to 25 knots.

“In the southern part of Indonesia, the wind dominantly moves from southwest to northwest with speeds ranging from 8-25 knots,” the agency’s Maritime Meteorological Center said in a statement.

The highest wind speed was also predicted to occur in the Java Sea, as well as the North Natuna Sea in northern Indonesia. In the northern region, the wind pattern was said to dominantly move from north to east with speeds ranging from 5-20 knots.

The early warnings for sea waves as high as 2.5 to 4 meters spread in the western and southern Sunda Strait and the southern waters of Banten to NTT, as well as in the Indian Ocean west of Mentawai to Lampung, the Indian Ocean south of Banten to Bali, the Bali Strait - Lombok - southern Alas, and the Sumba Strait.

Strong winds and high waves that hit on Tuesday left two fishermen from Belanting Sambelia Village, East Lombok Regency, NTB, missing. Wak Acuk (60) and Saipudin (40) disappeared along with their canoe at around 10 a.m. Central Indonesian Time (WITA). The search yielded no results as of Tuesday evening and was planned to resume this Wednesday morning.

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MARIA FRANSISCA LAHUR