BMKG Predicts Peak of the 2026 Dry Season Will Occur in August

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicts that the peak of the 2026 dry season across most of Indonesia will occur in August 2026. ‘The peak of the dry season across most of Indonesia or in 429 drought zones, about 61.4 per cent of the total, is predicted to experience the peak in August 2026,’ said BMKG head Teuku Faisal Fathani in a press conference, quoted from Kompas TV, on Wednesday (4 March 2026). This forecast is one of the key pieces of information that needs to be anticipated, especially by the agriculture sector, water resources, forestry, and disaster management. ‘The onset of the dry season across most of Indonesia is predicted to begin in April, with 114 drought zones or about 16.3 per cent of all drought zones in Indonesia, totaling 699,’ he explained. Then in May 2026, 184 drought zones or 26.3 per cent of the area will follow into the dry season. Meanwhile, in June 2026 there are 163 drought zones or 23.3 per cent of the area that have begun to experience the dry season. The onset of the dry season is expected to begin from the Nusa Tenggara region and move gradually westward to cover other parts of Indonesia. In terms of seasonal characteristics, BMKG predicts the 2026 dry season in most areas of Indonesia will fall into the below-normal category or drier than the climatological average for the 1991-2020 period. Furthermore, compared with the 30-year average, the early onset of the 2026 dry season in 325 drought zones or 46.5 per cent of the area is forecast to come earlier than usual. Adapun 173 zona musim atau 23,7 per cent wilayah diperkirakan mengalami awal musim kemarau yang sesuai dengan kondisi normal.