Indonesia's BMKG Issues Nationwide Weather Alerts Amid Drought and Flood Risks

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned that parts of Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara have experienced more than a month without rain, indicating a strong meteorological drought that could lead to agricultural and hydrological shortages.

In coastal Bengkulu, BMKG forecast wave heights rising to 2.2 metres from 19 July, prompting the regional disaster agency to urge fishermen and sea‑transport operators to stay vigilant.

A separate early‑warning bulletin listed heavy rain with lightning risk for numerous cities, including Pekanbaru, Tanjung Selor, Padang, Medan, Bengkulu, Palembang, Pontianak and several locations in eastern Indonesia. The agency cited an atmospheric convergence zone stretching from western Sumatra through Kalimantan to Sulawesi and Papua that can intensify rain clouds.

BMKG also cautioned residents of Central Java’s northern coastal strip of a prolonged high tide (rob) that may cause flooding up to one metre, disrupting transport and coastal activities. Similar alerts of cloud cover and light to moderate rain were issued for Sumatra, Sumatra islands and other major Indonesian cities.