Heatwave in Jakarta: Strong Sunlight and Lack of Cloud Cover Behind Recent Temperature Rise

The weather in Jakarta and surrounding areas has felt considerably hotter in recent days. What is the cause?

The Acting Director of Public Meteorology at the Indonesian Meteorological Agency (BMKG), Ida Pramuwardani, explained the phenomenon. She stated that the recent hotter weather is due to strong sunlight striking without cloud cover.

“The condition of the air that feels hotter recently is generally influenced by sufficiently strong solar radiation, with uneven cloud cover during the day,” said Ida when reached on Saturday, 14 March 2026.

Additionally, she noted that the region is currently experiencing a seasonal transition. During this period, she said, the weather from morning to midday will feel more scorching.

“Along with the characteristics of the seasonal transition period, in which weather from morning to midday tends to be hotter, whilst in the afternoon or evening there is still potential for localised rainfall,” she said.

Ida also touched on the early arrival of the dry season that could occur earlier than usual in Indonesia. She predicted that the 2026 dry season would begin across most of Indonesia in April.

“The BMKG predicts the 2026 dry season has the potential to arrive earlier in several regions of Indonesia. Most regions of Indonesia are predicted to enter the dry season during April (114 ZOM; 16.3 per cent), May (184 ZOM; 26.3 per cent), and June 2026 (163 ZOM; 23.3 per cent), beginning from the Nusa Tenggara region and then gradually to other Indonesian regions,” she said.

This condition is also beginning to occur on the island of Java. Therefore, she continued, weather will be dominated by clear conditions.

“At present, the dry season has already entered several regions on the island of Java, so the weather pattern is dominated by clear to heavily cloudy conditions, but there is still potential for moderate to heavy rainfall in some areas,” she added.