Weatherman tells which way wind blows

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

The Surabaya Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) warned people against unnecessary travel by air or sea due to the predicted rough weather in February.

"Extreme weather above East Java and eastern parts of Indonesia may occur in the second week of February," Eko Prasetyo, a staff member at the weather station, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

"Satellite images have shown that the weather will worsen, and that will not be good for flights and sea trips," he said.

He said satellite images indicated the presence of a dense layer of cumulo-nimbus clouds 12,000 to 15,000 meters thick, at an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 meters.

The weather station also forecasted that sea tides would rise by about 180 centimeters in East Java from Feb. 7 to Feb. 11, followed by torrential rains in the afternoon and at night.

"Bad weather signs have already been seen from strong winds, which recently swept several cities across East Java like Banyuwangi and Lumajang," said Eko.

Wind velocity in the province could reach around 90 kilometers per hour (km/h) to 100 km/h and gradually increase to 125 km/h in coastal areas, capable of creating dangerous surf conditions.

Storm-tossed waves from the Java sea will head toward Sumatra and Sulawesi. "Ships and flights heading to Sumatra and Sulawesi could be at risk," warned Eko.

"The BMG will give regular updates on the weather reports every hour for flight purposes. Information will be sent to related agencies and the public through the media and the information office," he said.