Earth's Temperature Rises by 0.35 Degrees Celsius, UGM Expert Warns of Extreme Weather Threats

The Earth is not faring well. In the last decade, the rate of global warming has reportedly nearly doubled compared to the 1970s. Currently, the Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.35 degrees Celsius, a seemingly small figure but one that brings systemic impacts on extreme weather in various parts of the world, including Indonesia. The resulting effect is a rise in sea levels that threatens low-lying areas. In addition to the rise in sea surface levels, high temperatures trigger more massive evaporation. This condition automatically increases the potential for extreme rainfall due to the increasingly saturated concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere. “If the air temperature rises higher, causing the sea surface temperature to rise further, another form is cyclones that will occur more frequently. If cyclones occur frequently, the subsequent impacts are flooding, then for example strong winds, and also other height changes,” explained Emilya, as quoted from the official UGM website, Friday (27/3/2026). Emilya added that this drastic temperature increase also triggers strong winds capable of damaging infrastructure, such as fallen trees to damage to residents’ roof tiles. Not only related to hydrometeorological disasters, global warming also disrupts the rhythm of seasons. Dry seasons are predicted to arrive earlier with much drier conditions. This certainly serves as a danger alarm for national food security. “Because if the dry season is long, it will impact the agricultural sector. Farmers will find it difficult to plant rice, especially in the third planting pattern,” stated Emilya. Scientifically, she explained that human activities such as the use of fossil fuels increase greenhouse gases. As a result, more solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth than reflected back into space. “Well, the increasingly hot temperature then also causes an increase in temperature on the Earth’s surface,” she said. “The cloud formation process during the dry season decreases, so we experience a dry season,” explained Emilya. To mitigate the impacts of prolonged drought, Emilya urged the public and government to start implementing regulatory harvesting, namely the technique of capturing and storing rainwater from rooftops or other catchment areas.