TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Rain in five provinces has extinguished hotspots in Sumatra, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said.
BMKG Pekanbaru Station spokesperson Slamet Riyadi said today that over the last two days, the satellite had detected 19 hotspots in five provinces in Sumatra.
Riau has the highest number of hotspots (10), followed by North Sumatra with four hotspots, West Sumatra and Bengkulu with two hotspots, respectively, and South Sumatra with one hotspot.
The BMKG analyzed that rain, thunder, and strong winds will likely continue in Sumatra provinces as the dry season approaches.
“We predict that the peak of the dry season in Sumatra will occur in August. Even now, the threat of forest fires is increasing, particularly in Riau,” Slamet said.
Slamet explained that forests and peatlands in Riau, which account for 50 percent of lands in the province or around 8.9 million hectares, are prone to fires.
ANTARA
