TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Climate and Atmosphere Researcher, Erma Yulihastin, revealed the cause of the recent flooding in most parts of Jakarta. She assessed that it was triggered by extreme rainfall with an intensity of up to 157 millimeters.

“Yesterday’s flooding in Kelapa Gading and northern Jakarta proved that the city’s drainage capacity was no longer able to handle [rain with an intensity of up to] 150 millimeters,” Erma said on her X (formerly Twitter) account as quoted in Jakarta on Friday, March 1.

She noted that the city was hit by severe flooding back in early 2020, which was caused by an embankment breach that could not withstand rainfall of more than 300 millimeters.

At present, a rainfall intensity of 150 millimeters per day is sufficient to cause flooding due to the overflowing of river basins without any cases of embankment breaks. This indicates that the drainage capacity of the city has decreased.

The Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that at least 38 roads in Jakarta were flooded on Thursday, February 29, following the extreme rainfall of 157.3 millimeters per day since February 24. Water levels ranged from 10 to 120 centimeters.

Guswanto, the Deputy for Meteorology at the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said Jakarta is one of the regions that have the potential for extreme rainfall impacts, such as flooding, for the next week from March 1 to 8, 2024.

ANTARA

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