BMKG: Bima becomes epicentre of drought in NTB, 125 days without rain

Bima Regency has become the region with the most severe extreme drought in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), characterised by a period of No Rain Days (HTH) reaching 125 days, or more than four months.

Forecaster at the NTB Climatology Station, Cakra Mahasurya Atmojo Pamungkas, stated that the longest periods of no rain in Bima Regency are located in the Belo and Bolo districts. “We hope the community uses water wisely to anticipate a clean water crisis,” he said in Mataram on Tuesday.

The phenomenon of more than four months without rain means that Bima Regency is currently facing a serious threat of extreme drought. Cakra explained that these dry conditions are occurring because rainfall in the NTB region is in the low category, specifically between 0 to 50 millimetres per ten-day period.

“Rainfall characteristics in the NTB region during this period are dominated by below-normal levels, with only a small portion of the region falling into the above-normal category,” said Cakra.

According to BMKG forecasts, the probability of rain in most parts of NTB remains low, at below 10 per cent, during the third ten-day period of September (21–30 September 2026).

The current atmospheric conditions are also being influenced by a very strong El Niño phenomenon. Monitoring results show the Nino3.4 Index is at +2.6 degrees Celsius and is predicted to persist until early 2027.

Other areas facing significant drought include Jereweh, Poto Tano, and Taliwang in West Sumbawa Regency; as well as Batulanteh, Labuhan Badas, Lape, North Moyo, Moyo Hilir, Moyo Hulu, Rhee, Sumbawa, and Unter Iwes in Sumbawa Regency; and Dompu, Kilo, Manggalewa, Pajo, and Woja in Dompu Regency.

Furthermore, areas under meteorological drought ‘Warning’ status in Bima Regency include the districts of Belo, Bolo, Donggo, Lambitu, Lambu, Palibelo, Sape, and Soromandi, while the Raba district in Bima City is also at the ‘Warning’ level.

“The entire NTB region is currently in the dry season, which is being intensified by El Niño. Be vigilant against the potential for forest, land, or residential fires by not burning rubbish indiscriminately or leaving fire sources unsupervised,” said Cakra.