Meteorological agency can't rule out El Nino

JAKARTA (JP): The national weather agency discounted yesterday the likelihood of a long dry spell this year but warned that Indonesia could still be in for a spell of freak weather known as El Nino.

There had been indications of an El Nino formation in recent weeks, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said.

El Nino, Spanish for "The Boy", is an unusual weather pattern that causes a rise in water temperatures in the Pacific and shifts in global winds and rain patterns.

The weather agency said the Southern Oscillation index had declined into negative figures in the last three months, and temperatures along the equator in the Eastern Pacific had risen. Air pressure in Darwin, Australia, had also risen compared to air pressure in Tahiti, at the other end of the Pacific.

"For Indonesia, there are indications that the temperatures of the sea's surface have become cooler, falling below average. This condition leads to a lower chance of cloud formation and rain in Indonesia," the agency said in a statement.

Last month, the agency did not have enough evidence to support weather forecasts from the United States which warned of an impending El Nino this year.

While ruling out the possibility of a long dry spell, the agency warned the public to anticipate less rainfall than usual in some parts of Indonesia this year.

"We need to look out for and anticipate the dangers of fire hitting forests and residential areas, and the possibility of water shortages and drought," it said.

The agency detected that rainfall had fallen below average in eastern Indonesia since May. But rainfall in West Java, Sumatra and most of Kalimantan remained normal. (emb)