To Prevent Forest and Land Fires, OMC to Be Conducted for 10 Days in South Sumatra

Palembang (ANTARA) - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has announced a 10-day Weather Modification Operation (OMC) to anticipate the potential for forest and land fires (karhutla) ahead of the 2026 dry season in South Sumatra. The head of the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin (SMB) II Meteorology Station in Palembang, Siswanto, stated that the OMC is scheduled to run from 5 to 14 May 2026. “During that period, two sorties are planned each day,” he said. The activity, he continued, aims to increase artificial rainfall to moisten peatlands in several fire-prone areas. “The main focus of this OMC is to maintain the moisture of peatlands so they are not easily ignited during the peak dry season,” he explained. BMKG hopes this measure will minimise the risk of forest and land fires that frequently occur in South Sumatra every dry season.