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BMKG warns of extreme weather during Idul Fitri
The Idul Fitri holiday this year will be dominated by light to medium rain, with potential for a tropical cyclone after April 11.
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Workers perform maintenance on a train car on March 26, 2024, at the Manggarai train depot in Jakarta. State-owned railway company Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) is preparing 1,664 regular trains plus 366 additional trains to run from March 31 to April 21 for the Idul Fitri exodus season this year. (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
T
he Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of extreme weather risks during the upcoming Idul Fitri season, during which millions are estimated to travel for mudik or exodus tradition.
"We urge all travelers, transportation service providers and transportation operators to be aware of potential extreme weather during the exodus. The dynamics of Indonesia's atmosphere are extremely volatile, which may result in sudden changes [of weather patterns]," said BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati.
Previously, the Transportation Ministry estimated that over 71 percent of Indonesians would participate in this year’s Idul Fitri exodus tradition, meaning that over 193 million travelers may see themselves affected by extreme weather as they travel to and from their hometowns.
Read also: Indonesia braces for potential largest Idul Fitri 'mudik' in history
According to BMKG, weather patterns before the religious holiday will be dominated by light to moderate rain (April 3–9) and partly cloudy weather (April 10–16). Following Idul Fitri, which is estimated to fall on April 10 and 11 this year, much of the country will experience light to moderate rain from mid-April, with potential risk of a tropical cyclone.
Other institutions such as the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Air Force have joined BMKG in formulating weather modification measures to anticipate extreme weather events during the religious holiday.
BMKG has also advised potential travelers to exercise caution during the holiday period by not traveling under extreme weather conditions.
"If the weather is poor, do not force yourselves and delay the travel instead, especially for those who travel by sea," said Dwikorita.
The agency head reminded the public that they can access weather information from portals like InfoBMKG and Indonesia Weather Information for Shipping (InaWIS) for accurate and up-to-date information on weather conditions.
