TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued an early warning for potential light, moderate, to heavy rainfall, with the risk of lightning and strong winds, across several major Indonesian cities as the nation observes the Eid al-Adha holiday on Wednesday, May 27.
According to forecaster Sufia Nur on the official BMKG website, a convergence zone currently extends across multiple regions, stretching from the west coast of Aceh to the waters west of Bengkulu, the southwest Indian Ocean, Banten, the Malacca Strait, from the Karimata Strait to the Sunda Strait, from the Java Sea to East Java, the waters south of Java, and along the southern coast of Central Kalimantan.
These atmospheric conditions are expected to trigger the growth of rain clouds along the convergence and confluence lines.
Consequently, the agency warns that several major cities could face moderate to torrential rainfall accompanied by lightning and gusty winds, specifically targeting Tanjung Pinang, Surabaya, Tanjung Selor, Ternate, and Manokwari.
Meanwhile, a light to moderate drizzle is forecast for several other major hubs, including Medan, Bandung, Semarang, Palangkaraya, Mamuju, Kendari, Gorontalo, Ambon, Sorong, Jayapura, and Jayawijaya.
In contrast, cities expected to remain overcast but dry today include Banda Aceh, Pekanbaru, Padang, Pangkal Pinang, Bandar Lampung, Serang, Yogyakarta, Pontianak, Samarinda, Banjarmasin, Denpasar, Mataram, Kupang, Makassar, and Nabire.
Earlier on Monday, May 25, the agency noted that as the mid-year season approaches, North Sumatra is expected to bear the brunt of dry, strong westerly winds paired with relatively low humidity levels.
Chrinstin Mori, a forecaster from the BBMKG Region I office in Medan, explained on Monday that these dry, powerful westerlies are likely to scatter cloud cover from morning until afternoon across parts of North Sumatra, leading to intense surface heating.
"As a result, the public may experience scorching daytime temperatures and potential bursts of strong, dry winds in several areas," he warned.
Given these scorching conditions, the BMKG urges residents to apply sunscreen to shield themselves from direct ultraviolet exposure and to stay hydrated, particularly those working outdoors during peak daylight hours, to prevent dehydration and heat fatigue.
Read: Dry Season and El Nino Await, Why the Frequent Downpours?
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