Pramono Instructs Cloud Seeding Operation in Jakarta Skies on 21 August
The Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta has scheduled a Weather Modification Operation (OMC) for Friday (21/8). The move is intended to trigger rainfall in the capital by making use of cloud cover expected to appear that day.
The instruction to carry out the OMC was delivered directly by Pramono in South Jakarta on Thursday (20/8). He asked the relevant team to immediately prepare flights to seed clouds the following day in order to optimise the potential for rain.
“I have ordered that the OMC be carried out on Friday because there are clouds, so preparations should be made immediately for a flight tomorrow,” Pramono said, according to information received on Thursday afternoon.
Pramono explained that the presence of clouds in the sky is an absolute requirement for carrying out this weather modification. Based on weather forecasts, Jakarta is predicted to experience drizzle. Through the OMC, the Jakarta provincial government hopes to increase rainfall intensity so that it is more beneficial for the public, while still anticipating the potential for flooding.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the OMC is only one technical effort and does not guarantee a 100 per cent success rate in producing rain. According to him, although rain is the will of God, the government must still make maximum efforts to respond to existing weather conditions.
“If the flight is carried out, whether rain occurs or not is not yet guaranteed. But if no effort is made, I think that is also not good. So, I will still do it tomorrow, and fortunately there will be clouds tomorrow,” he explained.
Previously, the Jakarta provincial government carried out a similar operation on Wednesday (19/8) which succeeded in triggering rain in several parts of Jakarta. Pramono said the modification was aimed at creating artificial rain even though the available clouds were small in size.
In the previous operation, rain fell twice with an interval of about 30 minutes. Pramono noted that the characteristics of rain produced by this modification are indeed different and not as intense as rain during the normal rainy season.