Forecasting office predicts wetter days
Forecasting office predicts wetter days
JAKARTA (JP): The national weather bureau is predicting even wetter days ahead for many parts of Indonesia, although in some parts rainfall might start declining.
Endro Santoso, head of Forecasting and Climatology of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, said yesterday that the average precipitation in February will reach above 400 millimeters in many parts of Java, which is high by any standard, the Antara news agency reported.
Normal precipitation for Java for this time of the year is between 300 mm and 400 mm.
Endro said that some areas could expect more flooding because huge amounts of rain might fall all at once.
In Jakarta, rain has been heaviest this month in its south and eastern parts where precipitation exceeded 400 mm. In the north and western parts of the city, rainfall ranged between 300 mm and 400 mm. February will not likely see much change, he said.
In other parts of Java, average precipitation exceeded 400 mm this month in the northern regencies of West Java, such as Pandeglang, Lebak, Sukabumi and Jatiwangi. In Central Java, the northern coast and the mountain areas have had higher than average rainfall. In East Java, Ijen, Bondowoso and Probolinggo had more than 400 mm of precipitation.
For the coming month, areas in Java that will see rainfall exceeding 400 mm are Bandung, Sukabumi, Cirebon, Temanggung, Wonosobo and Jepara. The southern coast of West Java, Central Java and East Java will also be wetter than usual.
This year's rainy season has come later, but with no less devastating impact. After an unusually long dry spell, which in some parts of the country even extended into December, reports of floods are starting to come in from some parts of East Java, Jambi, Riau and North Sulawesi.
The average precipitation in December was less 300 mm, which is low for that time of the year.
Endro said the rainfall should die down in March and April. In May, the levels of precipitation should drop to an average of 150 mm. (emb)