SBY warns travelers about extreme weather threat

AdiantoP. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 08/11/2010 9:59 AM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has told travelers and transportation operators to bewary of extreme weather, as millions are expected to return to their hometownsfor the Idul Fitri holiday next month.

During a Cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat on Tuesday, Yudhoyono ordered theTransportation Ministry and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency(BMKG) to take measures to prevent transportation accidents caused by poorweather conditions.

“Extreme weather changes have already hit Indonesia,” he said.

“The weather is currently unfriendly; we need to remind people to be careful.”

Idul Fitri falls on Sept. 10 and 11 this year.

Millions of people from big cities across the country will return to their hometowns ina nationwide phenomenon called mudik, to celebrate Idul Fitri with theirrelatives.

The most popular transportation modes include airplane, ferry, bus, train, private carand motorcycle.

Yudhoyono said the BMKG needed to share weather forecasts with local governments and seaand land transportation operators.

“Don’t underestimate [the importance of weather forecasts],” he said.

The President mentioned the severe weather conditions currently plaguing severalother countries at the moment, including forest fires in Russia, landslides inChina and floods in Pakistan and India.

The BMKG posts daily weather forecasts and information about tidal activity on itswebsite.

The BMKG earlier forecast that this year’s dry season would arrive in Sumatra, Java,Bali, Sulawesi and Maluku sometime from May to June.

The forecast was then revised to July due to unexpected rises in sea temperaturesthat caused massive evaporation and heavy rains.

The agency said the La Nina weather phenomena would also cause extreme weather inIndonesia.

Last March,the BMKG issued an annual weather forecast stating that the dry season wouldfall in June at the latest.

However, rains continue to sweep several big cities in the country, including Jakarta.

Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said he had sent letters to governors, regents andmayors telling them to take action to prevent transportation accidents.

“All air, land and sea transportation operators must halt operations if the BMKGissues a serious weather warning,” he said.

Experts have said extreme weather conditions could increase in intensity due to climatechange caused by global warming.

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Nine Indonesian Fishermen Missing After Storm In Madura Strait

Jakarta Globe

Nine fishermen from Situbondo, East Java, were reported missing after their boat was hit by high waves during a storm in the Madura Strait.

On Wednesday night, seventeen fishermen went to sea from Mimbo Beach in Situbondo only to be hit by high waves and a storm two hours. Eight men survived and were found by passing fishermen’s boats in the Madura Strait on Thursday. The other nine fishermen were missing.

One of the survivors, Hasan, told SCTV on Friday that he survived by holding on to a log in the ocean. He said the boat capsized after a three-meter wave hit them. A search and rescue team was sweeping the area where the fishermen were found, but the search effort could be called off at any time due to bad weather.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency stated on its Web site on Friday that Indonesia would be hit hard by bad weather over the next three days.

The agency reported that from January 15 to 18 there would be heavy rainstorms with lightning and strong winds in various parts of Indonesia, including Jakarta.

South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Bangka-Belitung, Lampung, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Java, Sulawesi, the northern part of Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua were also put on alert.

The bad weather is being caused by wind pressure extending from the Java Sea to Banda Sea, influencing the occurrence of rain clouds, notably in the southern parts of Indonesia.

BMKG had already issued a dangerous sea weather warning on Wednesday this week for the Java Sea and Bali Strait. Ship operators and fishermen were advised to delay any kinds of sea travel for at least three days because of high waves and strong wind.

Waves in Java Sea to reach 3.5 meters

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/10/2010 3:47 PM

Waves in the Java Sea will rise from 1.5 to 3.5 meters in the next two days, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned.

"The wind will blow at high speeds and heavy rain will fall," Sinta Andayani, an official at the Maritim Perak branch office of the BMKG, told kompas.com on Sunday.

High waves will also hit Bawean, Masalembu, and Sumenep waters, she added.

A motorboat was damaged and consequently ran aground after being battered by strong sea waves at the weekend.

Tsunami early warning system fails during W Java quake

Antara, Wednesday, September 2, 2009 19:06 WIB

Palabuhanratu, Sukabumi (ANTARA News) - A tsunami early warning system or TEWS installed at Palabuhanratu Beach, Sukabumi district, West Java, did not work well when a powerful earthquake rocked the area at 02:55 pm on Wednesday.

7.3 shock: An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale jolted the southern part of West Java at 2:55 p.m. on Wednesday. The tremor was felt as far as Jakarta and Yogyakarta in Central Java. (The Jakarrta Post)

ANTARA News learned at the beach on the occasion that the TEWS sounded for 10 seconds but then stopped.

At the same time, electricity in the area was also down.

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale shook southwest Tasikmalaya, West Java, on Wednesday at 02.55 pm Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB), causing people as far as in Jakarta to be panic-stricken.

The quake`s epicenter was located at 8.24 degrees southern latitude, and 107.32 degrees eastern longitude, according to information from the meteorological, climatology, and geophysics (BMKG) office.

Meanwhile, head of the Palabuhanratu Fishery Port (PPNP), Arief Rahman said the quake did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami at the Pelabuhanratu because the region was blocked by the Ujung Genteng Beach.

"But if another aftershock happens, people are suggested to immediately take the evacuation route," Rahman said.

Information obtained from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, said the quake`s epicenter was at 142 kilometers southwest of Tasikmalaya, West Java at a depth of 30 kilometers beneath the sea level.

The quake that lasted about one minute was also felt in Jakarta and some areas of West Java.

However, about 200 fishermen who were at sea were not disturbed and continued their activity.

There were no immediate reports of casualties and damage caused by the earthquake.

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