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)