Jakarta braces itself for floods, landslides over holiday season

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The authorities have urged cities to step up their early warning systems and emergency readiness, as well as work with neighbouring cities to mitigate flood risks.

PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

JAKARTA – As Jakarta gears up for the Christmas and New Year holiday, the city is also

bracing

According to a forecast from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG),Jakarta is expected to see intense rain and strong winds between Dec 19 and Dec 22. In the past days, winds were recorded blowing at a speed of up to 55kmh in Jakarta, above the normal average of below 30kmh.

The weather agency attributed the extreme weather conditions to the peak of the rainy season, which is expected to last until January 2026, as well as a tropical cyclone and two cyclone seeds detected in three separate locations around the country that were said to have contributed to extreme weather in Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia.

Tropical Cyclone Bakung was identified forming over the Indian Ocean south-west of Lampung province in Sumatra.

As at the evening of Dec 17, it was observed moving further from Indonesia at lower speed, although the BMKG said the cyclone would still affect weather in many parts of the country.

Aside from Bakung, the weather agency is also monitoring a potential cyclone dubbed Invest 93S that was first detected on Dec 11 south of