Dry season to peak in August: BMG

JAKARTA: The Meteorology and Geophysics Board (BMG) predicted that the dry season would climax in August, with many provinces suffering from drought.

"The dry season will last longer than last year," BMG Chief Gunawan Ibrahim said on Thursday.

He said the rainy season may only begin between September and October, leading to water shortages in several provinces such as East Nusa Tenggara, East and Central Java for at least another three months.

The official further called on people to anticipate a prolonged dry season.

"We have arranged a program in cooperation with the agriculture ministry to enable farmers to survive during the dry season, for example by growing plants that require little water," Gunawan said.--Antara