Godzilla El Niño Emerges! Java Hit by Scorching Heat and Scant Rainfall
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) predicts the arrival of ‘Godzilla’ El Niño in April 2026. This phenomenon will be strengthened by a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). Its effects could cause the dry season in Indonesia to become longer and drier, with rainfall becoming even scarcer.
According to BRIN’s statement on Sunday (22/3/2026), El Niño will occur from April 2026 to October 2026. Cloud and rain formation will be concentrated over the Pacific Ocean. In contrast, Indonesian regions will experience minimal cloud cover and rainfall.
Meanwhile, the positive IOD phenomenon in the Indian Ocean is indicated by cooling of sea surface temperatures near Sumatra and Java. This will cause significant reductions in rainfall across Indonesia.
For the impacts of El Niño-positive IOD from April to July 2026, data from BRIN’s seasonal prediction model shows dry conditions occurring in most of Java to East Nusa Tenggara. Conversely, regions in Sulawesi, Maluku, Halmahera, and most of Maluku will still experience high rainfall.
BRIN also states that government mitigation is needed for:
Drought impacts in southern Indonesia that could threaten the national rice granaries, particularly in northern Java
Flood impacts in eastern Indonesia due to high rainfall during the dry season (Sulawesi, Halmahera, Maluku)
Forest and land fire impacts in parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, although the northern parts of both islands will still experience high rainfall
Optimising salt production to achieve salt self-sufficiency in 2026-2027, particularly in southern Indonesia
“Therefore, the government needs to be wary of drought impacts that could threaten the national food granaries in northern Java, in addition to mitigating forest and land fire impacts in Kalimantan and Sumatra. However, at the same time, the government should also prepare strategies to handle excess rainfall in Sulawesi, Halmahera, Maluku, or its impacts on flooding and landslides,” stated Erma Yulihastin, Researcher at the BRIN Centre for Climate and Atmospheric Research.