BMKG: Riau to be drier in 2026 than in 2025
Pekanbaru, (ANTARA) - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicts weather conditions in Riau Province in 2026 will be drier than the previous year, potentially increasing the risk of forest and land fires (karhutla).
Head of BMKG, Teuku Faisal Fathani, said 2025 will be opened and ended with a weak La Niña phenomenon that makes weather conditions relatively wetter. However in 2026, climatic conditions are expected to differ as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is in a neutral phase.
“T2025 will be opened and ended with a weak La Niña so it is wetter. Meanwhile in 2026, entering April ENSO conditions are forecast to be neutral, thus expected to be drier than 2025,” said Faisal at a press conference in Pekanbaru, Thursday.
He explained, based on 30 years of climate records, rainfall in 2026 is expected to be slightly below normal conditions. He said regions around the equator such as Riau, Jambi, and West Kalimantan are currently entering a period called “dry season” (kemarau kecil). In this phase there are still sporadic rains before the peak dry season. “The peak of the dry season is expected in June, July, and August,” he said.
Therefore early efforts to moisten the land become important to suppress fire potential at the peak dry season. Currently, he collaborates with the National Disaster Management Agency conducting weather modification operations to bring rain to areas predicted to be prone to karhutla.
“When it is still possible to perform cloud seeding, we will try to bring rainfall to moisten the land so it is more saturated before the peak dry season,” he said.
He added that BMKG would also continue to monitor possible developments of the El Niño phenomenon in coming years. If that phenomenon occurs together with the dry Australian monsoon winds, Indonesia could experience a longer dry season.
BMKG, he continued, will continue to coordinate with various parties, including local governments, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, and disaster management agencies to increase preparedness facing the potential karhutla.
“BMKG is ready to support all parties to be more prepared and responsive in facing the threat of karhutla,” he said.