Rains to start in October or November: Weather office
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)