Time to clear the drains; it's going to rain

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Widyawati, a housewife from Cipinang, East Jakarta, was one of the many Jakartans who felt a sense of relief when she heard the downpour on her roof on Sunday.

"I hope this is a good sign that we are starting the wet season after the excessively hot weather we've suffered for the past couple of weeks," she said.

Although several roads were submerged in water, the inundation did not affect the city much as traffic remained quiet thanks to the Idul Fitri holidays.

Meteorologist Paulus Agus Winarso confirmed the Sunday rain was a strong indication the city was entering the wet season.

"For the past two days I have observed we have enjoyed windy days followed by wet conditions. That is a clear sign that we are entering the wet season, although a thorough observation should be made to support such a forecast," Paulus told The Jakarta Post.

He said the wet season had come a month behind the predicted schedule.

"It usually comes in mid-October. However, now it is coming at the end of November. It seems that the whole wet season cycle is now occurring a month later."

During wet season, which occurs throughout Southeast Asia, the precipitation level increases, eases for a short time and then rises again before it eventually ends.

Paulus said it would be difficult to forecast whether Jakarta would experience rains as severe as the high precipitation in 2002 that triggered the worst-ever floods in the city's recorded history.

"What the most important thing to do is to ensure that all drainage systems in the city are clear enough to quickly drain off water and help stave off flooding in the city," he said.

In the 2002 flood, at least 168 of the total of 262 subdistricts in city were swamped. Thirty-one people died in the disaster and more than 300,000 residents were forced to leave their homes and stay in temporary shelters. The floods paralyzed transportation in the city for days.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency has advised residents to clean up their neighborhoods and help dredge the city's rivers to help mitigate possible flooding.

It takes only 75 mm of rain a day over three consecutive days to cause flooding in the capital.