Bandung Is No Longer Cool as Temperatures Hit 35°C

BANDUNG — The Bandung office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has explained why Bandung and surrounding areas have felt unusually hot, or hareudang in Sundanese. It recorded a maximum temperature of 35°C in the city, with the average at around 30°C.

Asri Rachmawati, a forecaster at the BMKG’s Climatology Station, said several parts of West Java had experienced a rising-temperature trend over the past week. In Bandung, temperatures reached as high as 35°C.

She said the temperature was about 31.4°C on 8 October and 30.4°C on 9 October. It then rose to 32°C on 10 October, 34°C on 11 October and 32.6°C on 12 October.

“On the 13th, it rose again to 33°C. Yesterday it increased significantly to 35.0°C. So what people are feeling is right: Bandung feels hotter,” she told reporters on Thursday (15 October 2026).

She said there had been relatively little rain on those dates, including across much of West Java. The lack of cloud cover during the peak of the dry season has allowed sunlight to reach the ground directly, she said.

Other contributing factors include the sun’s apparent movement over Java and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index being at a very strong level.

The heat and dry conditions could lead to a rise in acute respiratory infections caused by dust and drought. Residents also face a risk of dehydration and should increase their water intake.

The risk of land fires is also increasing. The rainy season is forecast to begin in November or December.