BMKG Explains Rainfall in Palangka Raya on Thursday Night

Rain fell in several parts of Palangka Raya from Thursday afternoon until Friday, amid haze caused by forest and land fires. The light to moderate rainfall was attributed to the growth of convective clouds and the implementation of weather-modification operations (OMC).

Nadya, a forecaster at the Tjilik Riwut Class I Meteorological Station of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), said on Friday (16 October 2026) that rain had been observed in two districts: Jekan Raya and Bukit Batu.

“The affected areas in Palangka Raya were Jekan Raya and Bukit Batu, with light to moderate rainfall,” Nadya said, as reported by detikKalimantan.

According to Nadya, the rain on Thursday night (15 October) was caused by convective cloud growth, with additional influence from OMC activities. The operation was being carried out to support efforts to tackle forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan.

“The rain at night was caused by the growth of the convective clouds themselves, as well as intervention through OMC activities,” she said.

Meanwhile, the rain in the early hours of Friday resulted from natural convective cloud growth in the atmosphere. This differed from the previous night’s rain, which was also influenced by weather modification. Convective clouds form when warm, moist air rises into the atmosphere and condenses, creating clouds that may produce rain.

“The rainfall amid the haze is a welcome development that may help reduce pollutant particles in the air and support efforts to extinguish the forest and land fires,” she said.