BMKG conducts cloud seeding in Jambi through early September
“The operation is expected to continue until early September, as there is still potential for rain-bearing clouds,” Jaka Anugerah Ivan Davinski, a representative of the BMKG Deputy for Weather Modification, said at the aerial command post for forest and land fires on Monday.
He explained that the potential for rain-bearing clouds in Jambi is expected to persist until September 2, 2026. From September 3 to 6, however, cloud activity is expected to decrease, with conditions ranging from clear to partly cloudy.
Therefore, cloud-seeding optimization efforts will remain focused from Monday through September 1, he said.
As long as rain-bearing cloud potential remains, the BMKG and the task force will continue to maximize cloud-seeding efforts by dispersing salt (NaCl) into the atmosphere over Jambi to induce artificial rainfall while forest and land fires persist.
He explained that on Monday, August 31, the task force conducted two OMC operations. The first took place at 7 a.m. local time, involving one sortie to disperse one ton of salt over East Tanjung Jabung and Tebo districts.
At 11 a.m. local time, personnel conducted another cloud-seeding operation over East Tanjung Jabung, particularly around the Berbak Sembilang National Park (TNBS) area.
“We continue to monitor the situation. Whenever there is potential for rain-bearing clouds, the team immediately moves in. Operations run from morning until 9 p.m. local time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commander of the Jambi Forest and Land Fire Task Force Bachyuni Deliansyah added that the OMC conducted in cooperation with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) had triggered rainfall across parts of Jambi.
Areas that experienced moderate to heavy rainfall as a result of the OMC on Sunday, August 30, included East Tanjung Jabung, Muaro Jambi, and West Tanjung Jabung districts.
Related news: BNPB deploys water-bombing helicopter to fight West Papua fires
Related news: Indonesia bolsters integrated strategy in fight against wildfires
Translator: Agus Suprayitno, Katriana