Indonesia on alert against heavy rain and floods

A man makes his way through a street flooded due to heavy rain in a residential area in Jakarta on Oct 6, 2022. - AFP

JAKARTA (The Nation/Asia News Network): On the heels of fatal flooding in Greater Jakarta and beyond last week, vast swathes of the archipelago are being asked to prepare for more extreme wet weather in the coming days.

Over the weekend, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued more extreme weather warnings for the week ahead, following days of heavy downpours that caused flooding in a number of provinces in the country.

Consistent afternoon rainfall has dealt considerable damage to Greater Jakarta, but authorities have also reported other extreme events in the area, such as a tornado in Depok, West Java, and a 5.5-magnitude earthquake felt briefly in Jakarta but originating southwest of Banten.

Almost all of the country’s provinces are expected to experience medium to heavy rainfall until Oct 15 at the earliest, along with possible thunderstorms and strong winds, said BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati on Saturday.

These include all six provinces on the island of Java; nine provinces in Sumatra, including Aceh, North Sumatra and Lampung; all five provinces of Kalimantan; and a total of 12 other provinces, including Bali, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua.

The BMKG also warned of potentially dangerous coastal conditions, including waves ranging in height from 2.5 to 4 metres, until at least Friday.

The strong surf and tidal action is likely to be seen along the western shores of Sumatra, including in Aceh and Lampung, as well as along the southern coast of Java.

High waves are also likely to occur in the western and southern parts of the Sunda strait, which separates Java and Sumatra, as well as the Bali-Lombok strait and the Sumba strait.