The nation recorded a sharp increase in potential fire zones this month as El Nino conditions intensified across the country, the head of the country’s weather agency said, adding that the weather system was expected to last into early 2027.
Over 5,000 hotspots were detected as of Wednesday, a sharp increase compared to previous El Nino years in 2015, 2019 and 2023, an agency official said yesterday. The provinces of West Kalimantan, South Papua and Riau recorded the most hotspots.
As of mid-July 2026, 54.5% of Indonesia’s seasonal zones had entered the dry season, which is expected to peak in August, unchanged from a previous forecast, agency chief Teuku Faisal Fathani told the same briefing.
The risk of forest and land fires is expected to peak from August to September, particularly on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, before easing from October to November when higher rainfall is expected to return.
Dry spells have been recorded across much of the country, with the longest stretch without rain reaching 80 days in Purworejo regency in Central Java.
There were 1,366 locations with dry spells lasting 21-30 days, 943 locations with 31-60 rainless days, and 70 locations where dry conditions persisted for more than 60 days. — Reuters
