TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Yuni Yulianti, weather forecaster at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that hails and strong wind that occurred in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, lasted for an hour.
“The wind is extremely strong with a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour. Usually, [the wind speed] is only up to 20 kilometers per hour,” Yuni told Tempo on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
Yuni said that extreme rains were predicted to occur in a number of areas in West Java that are entering a transition from rainy season to dry season. According to Yuni, the weather condition in Bandung is affected by the cyclone pattern. The Technical data collected today indicated a potential of an extreme rain.
According to Yuni, rains in Bandung are always with strong winds and hails. The last hail reportedly occurred in Bandung last month.
The BMKG warned that there could be more extreme rains with strong winds in Bandung and West Java.
“We have passed the rainy season in March. Rains still occurred in April, but the intensity is decreasing. It’s still a rainy season, but we’re in transition,” Yuni explained.
The dry season in Bandung is expected to start in late May. Yuni said that other areas in West Java may enter dry season in Late April or early May.
Based on Tempo’s observation, hails with strong wind knocked down dozens of trees in Bandung. At the Gedung Sate complex, a branch fell on a parked car, and a tent in the cafetaria collapsed. At Jalan Pahlawan, a billboard collapsed due to strong wind. No reports yet have been released whether the incidents killed or injured people.
AHMAD FIKRI