The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Firm (BMKG) has urged individuals to get ready for the dry season, expected to peak in August, although it is expected to be less severe than last year.
” Stakeholders and citizens need to be much better prepared in facing the impact of the dry season, especially in locations susceptible to dry spell, forest and land fires, as well as clean water shortage,” the firm stated as reported by tempo.co on Tuesday.
The BMKG recommended that regional administrations optimize their efforts in collecting water by filling up regional lakes, reservoirs and other water retention ponds.
BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati said some parts of the country had currently gone into the dry season.
” This year’s dry season will be less serious than last year, except in some areas, like throughout Pantura [Java’s northern coast], where it will be more dry than typical, although not as dry as last year,” she included.
The company expected 2020 to have a wetter dry season than last year, nevertheless, 30 percent of the nation’s 342 seasonal zone locations might experience a dryer season than normal. Those areas include parts of Aceh, Riau, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali, East Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and Maluku.
Locations “clothes dryer than typical” are expected to see between zero to 5 millimeters of rainfall per 10 days.
Dwikorita cautioned that lower rainfall in some areas may cause problem in getting water supplies and watering, which might affect agriculture activities.
In 2019, the country saw a severe dry season as some areas in Nusa Tenggara, Bali and the majority of Java saw no rain for more than 3 months. The season lasted 2 months longer than had actually been forecast in almost all areas, causing a nationwide drought and forest fires in parts of Sumatra.
In March, the BMKG predicted that the transition to the dry season would happen between April and Might, with a nationwide dry season anticipated in between June and August.
This year’s rainy season is anticipated to fall between October and December.( mfp)
