BMKG Warns of Rising Temperatures as Dry Season Expands Across Indonesia

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has reminded the public to be vigilant regarding the increase in hot weather across several regions of Indonesia as the dry season expands. Residents who are active outdoors are advised to maintain adequate fluid intake and avoid direct exposure to sunlight to prevent dehydration, the agency stated in an official release on Thursday (9/7). According to BMKG analysis, 342 seasonal zones, or 48.9 percent of Indonesia’s territory, have now entered the dry season. This condition is influenced by the persistence of the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, which is causing a continued reduction in rainfall potential across most parts of the country. BMKG recorded that maximum air temperatures during the 1-5 July 2026 period still reached more than 35 degrees Celsius in several areas, including North Sumatra, Lampung, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Java, Banten, and Central Sulawesi. Furthermore, 329 monitoring points, or approximately 7 percent of the observation area, have experienced a very long category of consecutive dry days, lasting between 31 and 60 days. Despite this, BMKG stressed that the dry season does not mean rain will stop entirely. Light to heavy rain can still occur locally due to atmospheric dynamics such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), Kelvin waves, and Equatorial Rossby waves. For the period of 7-13 July 2026, most of Indonesia is forecast to be dominated by low rainfall. However, moderate category rain is still possible in parts of northern and central Sumatra, North Kalimantan, parts of Maluku, and the mountainous regions of Papua. BMKG has also issued an early warning for heavy to very heavy rain in West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Papua Pegunungan, and South Papua for the period of 7-10 July. Meanwhile, strong winds are forecast for Aceh, Banten, West Java, East Java, Maluku, North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Southeast Sulawesi, and North Sulawesi. In response to these conditions, BMKG has urged residents in areas already experiencing the dry season to use protection or sunscreen when outdoors, increase water consumption to prevent dehydration and fatigue, and continue to monitor weather forecasts and extreme weather warnings, as rain can still occur at any time despite the ongoing dry season.