BMKG: Dry Season in West Java Arrives Earlier and Lasts Longer

Bandung (ANTARA) - The Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) has revealed that most areas of West Java have entered the dry season, which is predicted to arrive earlier and last longer than usual.

Forecaster at the West Java Climatology Station, Vivi Indhira, stated that the dry season has already begun this April in central Karawang, central Subang, and parts of Indramayu.

“As much as 56 percent of West Java’s regions are predicted to enter the dry season in May,” she said in Bandung on Tuesday.

She explained that other areas, such as most of Bogor Regency, northern Sukabumi, central Cianjur, and Bandung City, are expected to start entering the dry season in June.

Vivi noted that overall, around 66 percent of West Java’s regions are predicted to experience an earlier dry season compared to normal conditions, while 25 percent will be on schedule and 7 percent will be later.

She mentioned that the peak of the dry season is expected to occur in August across about 90 percent of West Java, while a small portion of other areas will peak in July and September.

“Regions in West Java are predicted to experience a longer dry season duration than usual,” she said.

BMKG urges the government and the public to anticipate the impacts of drought by optimising the management of water resources, such as reservoirs and ponds, and practising water conservation.

For the agricultural sector, farmers are advised to adjust their planting calendars and use drought-resistant crop varieties.

“For the disaster sector, preparedness is requested for the potential of drought and incidents of forest and local fires,” she said.