BMKG: Pontianak, Banjarmasin Covered in Smoke due to Land, Forest Fires

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that gray smoke covered Pontianak in West Kalimantan and Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan in the early hours of Tuesday, August 15, 2023, due to land and forest fires.

The agency released data on hydrometeorological disasters during the first ten days of August 2023, which were dominated by land and forest fires. At the beginning of August, 69 percent of Indonesian territory had entered the dry season.

People are encouraged to take preventive measures to conserve water and those residing near forested areas are advised to stay alert as dry weather increases the potential for land and forest fires to burn more easily.

As of August 10, 2023, data recorded that flooding had occurred in North Sumatra (2 incidents), Aceh (1), and Central Sulawesi (1). Coastal flooding occurred in East Kalimantan (1), while landslides and flooding occurred in North Maluku (1). No flash floods or tornadoes were reported in the country.

Forest fires also occurred in various regions, including East Java (6), Riau (4), Aceh (3), West Kalimantan (3), West Java (2), Central Java (2), East Kalimantan (2), NTB ( 2), North Sumatra (1), Jambi (1), Central Kalimantan (1) and South Kalimantan (1).

Hotspots are detected

The agency also announced that a number of hotspots have been discovered throughout the archipelago. Among them are in North Sumatra (5 points), Riau (8), West Sumatra (1), Jambi (2), Bengkulu (2), Bangka Belitung (10), Lampung (5), Central Java (17), East Java (15), NTB (36), NTT (98), West Kalimantan (188), Central Kalimantan (36), South Kalimantan (48), East Kalimantan (41), Gorontalo (3), Central Sulawesi (2), West Sulawesi (6), South Sulawesi (3), Southeast Sulawesi (2), Maluku (2), North Maluku (3), and Papua (33).

BMKG also issued an early warning of meteorological drought for Central Java, East Java, Bali, NTB, NTT, and South Sulawesi from August 11 to 20, 2023. No early warning for high rainfall or flooding.

MARIA FRANSISCA LAHUR

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