Rainfall this month still normal, says BMG

JAKARTA (JP): Rainfall in the capital this month has been normal, but heavy rains might be recorded by the end of this year and reach a peak in January, according to an official.

Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) spokesman Wa'antarmin said on Wednesday that rainfall since early October here marked the beginning of the annual rainy season.

The rainfall measured so far this month by the BMG is considered to be normal, with an average of 92 millimeters per hour, he said.

But, he said, the impact of the La Nina weather phenomenon would increase the amount by 15 percent.

"However, we can't say that a significant increase in rainfall will cause heavy flooding because floods are not mainly caused by heavy rainfall," Wa'antarmin said.

Jakarta Bay's high tide, the vast amount of garbage clogging canals and massive water flows from mountainous areas in the south, such as Bogor, Puncak and Cianjur, play strong roles in flooding here, he explained.

Wa'antarmin therefore reminded Jakartans to stay vigilant against the possibility of a major flood.

Early August, BMG warned Jakartans that the La Nina weather phenomenon, which arises from unusually cool temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, could intensify flooding during this year's rainy season.

The agency has predicted that floods in the city could be worse than that in 1996, when some of Jakarta's 10 million inhabitants endured the most widespread flooding in the city's history.

The central government plans to allocate Rp 93 billion to the Jakarta administration for a massive flood prevention program.

But a lecturer at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture said last month that BMG's forecasts were baseless, saying La Nina would not play a significant role in any future floods as predicted by the agency.

Hidayat Pawitan, a lecturer at the institute's Geophysics and Meteorology Department, said: "The effects of the La Nina phenomenon in the form of heavier rain happen only during the dry season. During the rainy season, the impacts of La Nina are usually offset by the domination of the monsoon."

Early this week, the city's flood prevention team said the five observation stations along the Ciliwung and Pesanggrahan rivers had recorded a significant increase in water levels in the rivers.

Ciliwung and Pesanggrahan are the two main rivers that cross the capital from the south to the north.

One of the team's officials, Sumanta, said the level of the two rivers had risen to 165 centimeters from the normal level of 100 centimeters.

Most flood-prone areas in Jakarta would become inundated if the levels of the two rivers reached the emergency level of 200 centimeters, he said.

The five 24-hour observation stations are located in Pulogadung, Pesanggrahan, Manggarai, Karet and Depok. (ivy/bsr)