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West Java whirlwinds raise alarm over climate crisis
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A resident stands among the rubble of a house destroyed by a whirlwind in Sukadana village, Sumedang regency, West Java, on Feb. 22, 2024. West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) recorded that 97 houses and 17 factory buildings were destroyed by the natural disaster, which occurred on Feb. 21, injuring at least 31 people. (Antara/Raisan Al Farisi)
T
he recent occurrence of whirlwinds in multiple parts of West Java has prompted climate scientists to predict that the ongoing climate crisis could lead to more frequent and intense storms across the country.
Videos of a whirlwind in Rancaekek district, Bandung regency, began circulating on social media on Wednesday, showing a rotating column of air carrying debris from buildings in the area.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed the following day that whirlwinds had hit several districts of the regencies of Bandung and Sumedang between 3:30 and 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Measurements performed in Jatinangor district, Bandung regency, found an approximate peak wind speed of 36.8 kilometers per hour.
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The weather agency said the Asian monsoon, which brings increased wind and cloud-forming water vapor to the central and southern parts of the Indonesian archipelago, could have helped form the whirlwinds, which are typically accompanied by heavy rainfall.
The West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) said the whirlwinds had damaged 534 buildings of houses, factories and shops in the two regencies. At least 21 people were injured in Bandung regency and 12 more in Sumedang, while more than 1,400 people took shelter in temporary camps set up by authorities.
