Expert warns of possible storms and flooding in Central Java<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
An environmental expert at Gadjah Mada University here has
\nwarned of possible flooding and landslides in Yogyakarta and
\nCentral Java, similar to the disaster that struck Flores island
\nand other parts of East Nusa Tenggara province.<\/p>\n
\"Clouds above Central Java have the potential to cause
\ntorrential rains in the region. And any storm is expected to be
\naccompanied by winds between the speeds of 10 kilometers and 15
\nkilometers per hour,\" the expert, Sudibyakto, said.<\/p>\n
Sudibyakto, who is the head of the university's postgraduate
\nenvironmental studies program, said the southern part of Central
\nJava was especially at risk of flooding because if the tropical
\nstorm hits it is expected to kick up waves as high as three or
\nfour meters in the ocean.<\/p>\n
\"And both the torrential rains and any flooding could cause
\nlandslides because in some areas the land is quite unstable,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Based on his observations, Sudibyakto predicted the storm
\nwould last for three to five days before dissipating or heading
\ntoward the northern coast of Australia. He said it was urgent
\nthat the government take action to prepare for the storms.<\/p>\n
\"The public needs requires an early warning and has to be kept
\non the alert, and this can only be done by continuously
\nmonitoring the storm's movement through the weather satellite,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Sudibyakto also said the torrential rains in East Nusa
\nTenggara since March 31 had much to do with the presence of
\ntropical storms south of the islands of Sumba, Sumbawa and
\nFlores.<\/p>\n
At least 52 people were killed and 28 others are still missing
\nin the floods and landslides caused by the rain.<\/p>\n
\"The tropical storms occurred due to the emergence of a center
\nof low air pressure over the region. As a result, all the clouds
\nover Java island were drawn to the region, causing heavy rain
\nwhich in turn caused major landslides and flooding in most parts
\nof Flores and West Timor.\"<\/p>\n
He said he was concerned by the lack of data and analysis of
\ntropical storms in Indonesia, which makes it difficult to
\nforecast weather changes and possible natural disasters across
\nthe archipelago with accuracy.<\/p>\n
He said more analysis was needed in order to create an early
\nwarning system for storms.<\/p>\n
He said torrential rains and weather changes could be
\npredicted with more regularity if the country had a proper
\nobservatory center. He pointed to the example of the Philippines,
\nwhich he said had succeeded in mapping storm frequencies in areas
\nprone to storms.<\/p>\n
\"I think it is time for Indonesian climatologists to map
\ntropical storm frequencies in certain areas of the country.\"<\/p>",
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