Climate and Weather Expert Predicts West Sumatra Will Not Be Affected by Strong El Niño

Padang (ANTARA) - A climate and weather expert from Padang State University (UNP) in West Sumatra, Nofi Yendri Sudiar, predicts that the province will not be directly affected by the strong El Niño phenomenon, also known as El Niño Godzilla. “Not all regions will be impacted by the potential strong El Niño, one of which is West Sumatra,” said Nofi Yendri Sudiar in Padang on Saturday. He explained that throughout the year, rainfall intensity in West Sumatra is relatively high, reaching up to 200 millimetres per month. Furthermore, this is reinforced by the equatorial seasonal pattern in the Minangkabau region. Areas in the equatorial zone experience peak rainy seasons from March to April and October to November each year. “Therefore, regions with monsoon patterns such as Java, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), parts of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua will be affected, experiencing drought,” he said. He added that even if a strong El Niño occurs in Indonesia in 2026 as predicted by global meteorologists, he estimates that the potential for drought in West Sumatra will not be significant compared to other regions. With the dry season and potential strong El Niño in 2026, several issues must be anticipated by stakeholders, including threats of crop failure, drought, health problems, and forest and land fires (karhutla). He provided several recommendations to the government and society in responding to the potential or threat of strong El Niño. First, he suggests that farmers in areas potentially affected by El Niño readjust their planting schedules, including adapting to crops suitable for the dry season. Second, he urges stakeholders to regularly monitor forest and land areas to prevent karhutla, including stopping any individuals or parties from opening new agricultural land by burning. Additionally, he encourages and urges the public not to burn rubbish indiscriminately, especially during the dry season.