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BMKG warns of high wave risks for beachgoers during year-end holidays
The BMKG does not ban people from visiting beaches, but warns the public to avoid water activities during extreme conditions, such as heavy rain or high waves during the year-end holiday period.
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Thick, black clouds hang over high-rise buildings in Jakarta on Dec. 5. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of extreme weather during the Christmas and New Year holidays resulting from La Niña phenomenon, which may cause a 20 to 40 percent increase in rainfall. (Antara/Asprilla Dwi Adha)
T
he Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has urged the public to exercise caution if planning to spend the upcoming year-end Christmas and New Year holidays at the beach, as high waves could pose a risk.
"We encourage the public to be cautious and vigilant while doing activities on the beach. It's not that they can't go, but we urge them to be careful," BMKG Region II head Hartanto said in Cilacap, Central Java, on Thursday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Hartanto said BMKG did not prohibit visiting the beach, however, people should avoid water activities during extreme conditions, such as heavy rain or high waves.
While the southern coast of Java is the area most prone to high waves, other coastal regions could also experience dangerous conditions.
"The westerly winds are starting to come in, which increases the potential for high waves of 1 to 2 meters or even more, particularly along the southern coast [of Java]," Hartanto said.
Earlier on Dec. 4, the BMKG also alerted the public to the potential for extreme rainfall during the year-end holidays, caused by cold surges from Siberia.
A cold surge is a weather phenomenon that occurs when atmospheric pressure rises higher than the surrounding anticyclonic or trough movements. Cold surges can lead to hydrometeorological disasters such as floods. In 2020, a similar cold surge in the Greater Jakarta area caused significant flooding.
"When this cold surge reaches western Indonesia, including West Java, Lampung, Banten and Jakarta, it could lead to a scenario similar to the worst-case situation. We pray, God willing, that it won't be that severe, but it could result in intense rainfall," BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati said in Jakarta on Dec. 4.
BMKG predicts that the cold surge's effects, such as increased rainfall and wind speeds, will be felt between Dec. 20 and 29.
