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