Heavy rain and strong winds lash Lombok Tengah ahead of sahur; power outages

Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds hit Kecamatan Praya Barat, Lombok Tengah, Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB), at 02:00 WITA on Thursday (5 March 2026), just ahead of the sahur pre-dawn meal. As a result, lights in the area had to be switched off. One resident, Baiq Mayada (46), from Desa Kateng in Praya Barat, said she was terrified by the weather while she was cooking for sahur with her family. ‘I was cooking, then suddenly it rained and the wind was strong. I was very scared,’ she told detikBali. Mayada noted that extreme weather has occurred several times in the last two weeks and that rainfall intensified since floods about nine days earlier. ‘Since the floods, it has been raining continuously,’ she said. Meanwhile, BMKG’s Lombok ZAM Meteorological Station issued an early warning of potential extreme weather expected to hit NTB from 3 to 8 March 2026, based on analysis showing significant atmospheric dynamics around NTB. Head of BMKG ZAM Lombok, Satria Topan Primadi, explained indicators triggering the heightened potential: the presence of Tropical Cyclone Seeds 90S south of Java and Tropical Cyclone Seeds 93S west of Australia, among others. In addition, atmospheric waves such as Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), low-frequency waves, and Kelvin waves strengthen convective cloud formation in NTB. ‘The atmospheric dynamics show significant activity around NTB. The presence of two tropical cyclone seeds and active atmospheric waves support the growth of convective clouds,’ he said in a formal statement. He noted slow wind speeds around NTB, humidity high across several elevation layers, and strong atmospheric instability, all increasing the potential for cumulonimbus clouds. ‘This atmosphere may enhance convective cloud growth that can bring rain of moderate to very heavy intensity, accompanied by lightning and strong winds,’ he added. BMKG forecast extreme weather could affect almost all regencies and cities in NTB during the period, including Mataram, North Lombok, West Lombok, Central Lombok, East Lombok, Sumbawa, West Sumbawa, Dompu, Bima, and Bima City, with heavy rain potential varying daily. In addition to heavy rain, communities were urged to watch for high waves in NTB waters. From 3-5 March 2026, waves of 2.5 to 4 metres could occur in the southern Lombok Strait, southern waters off Lombok, southern Alas Strait, southern waters off Sumbawa, and south NTB in the Indian Ocean. ‘Meanwhile, waves of 1.25 to 2.5 metres are forecast in the northern Lombok Strait and Sape Strait waters,’ he said. Between 6-9 March 2026, waves of 2.5 to 4 metres could still affect southern and northern NTB waters, including the southern Indian Ocean off NTB. ‘Moderate waves of 1.25 to 2.5 metres are also expected in several strait areas,’ he added. Topan urged residents to heighten vigilance for hydrometeorological hazards such as floods, landslides, strong winds, lightning, and fallen trees. He also asked local governments and related agencies to strengthen early mitigation measures to prevent natural disasters caused by extreme weather. ‘Avoid outdoor activities in extreme weather, trim brittle tree branches, and prepare early evacuation plans for those living in hazard zones,’ he concluded. (nor/nor)