Rains to start in October or November: Weather office

JAKARTA (JP): Although the dry season began late this year by approximately one month, the rainy season should begin in most parts of Indonesia around October and November, according to the weather forecast agency.

"The rainy season will begin at its normal time," Karjoto Santokusumo, the chief of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, told reporters yesterday.

Karjoto said details of the rainy season forecast will be announced to the public next week.

He warned, however, that strong east winds are currently causing high waves of at least two meters high in some parts of Indonesian waters. "Small ships must particularly be careful," warned Karjoto, citing recent accidents in Bali.

On Aug. 13, six people drowned and seven others were reported missing after a passenger boat overturned off the port of Padangbai.

The seas around the southern area of the equator such as South Sumatra are also currently very dangerous, he said.

Karjoto was speaking after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between his agency and Australia's Bureau of Meteorology which was represented by its director, John Zillman.

Also witnessing the signing were Indonesia's Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and deputy head of mission of the Australian embassy, Murray Cobban.

The agreement covers cooperation in an international system called World Weather Watch Systems and meteorological research, climate monitoring and seasonal forecasting.

Cooperation also includes development of software programs and training of meteorological staff, particularly working in isolated stations of the agency.

Zillman said the common climate between Indonesia and particularly northern Australia, necessitated constant exchange of data, which will be enhanced by more advanced technology equipment facilitated under the cooperation.

"This is also made possible by the recent improvement in telecommunication links between Jakarta and Melbourne," said Karjoto.

The cooperation will hopefully enable more accurate predictions such as drought conditions in both countries, they said.

Exchange of data will enable closer monitoring of greenhouse gases and cross-border air pollution, Karjoto said.

He added that his agency monitors a vast area in a tropical climate and that neighboring countries such as Australia also depend on the agency's data.

"The cooperation enables Australia to acquire the agency's data, and we get sophisticated products from their Bureau of Meteorology," Karjoto said.

This, he said, will support the agency in more accurate weather forecasting for the interest of agriculture, aviation and other transportation.

Karjoto added that the agency is still in the process of adding 400 observation stations to its current 160 stations.

Both the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency and Australia's Bureau of Meteorology are members of the World Meteorological Organization. (anr)