People of Jambi complain of heat

JAMBI, Jambi: The dry season is expected to arrive in May but people here already are complaining about extreme heat, which the local meteorology agency reported at 33 degrees Celsius, well above the normal maximum temperature of 32 degrees.

The head of the agency, Aryana, told Antara on Monday that apart from people's complaints, the high temperatures would not adversely affect plants or water reserves for the time being.

Normally, the temperature here ranges between 29 and 32 degrees Celsius.

Aryana warned people against careless burning, saying such practices could cause forest fires. "Burning the forest to clear land must be avoided."

He also issued a warning to farmers who cultivated peat land on the eastern coast of the province. He said peat land, which becomes arid during the dry season, was vulnerable to fire.

Thick haze from forest fires blanketed Jambi, most of Sumatra and parts of neighboring countries in 1997.