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View all search resultsDozens of homes damaged as rare hailstorms hit West Java, Lampung
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) attributed the hailstorms in West Java and Lampung to the development of mature cumulonimbus clouds, powerful storm systems capable of producing intense rainfall, strong winds and hail.
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A resident holds ice pellets after a rare hailstorm struck West Lampung, Lampung province, on Nov. 1, 2026, damaging several homes and public facilities.
(courtesy of/Kompas.com)
R
are hailstorms have struck Kuningan regency in West Java and West Lampung regency in Lampung in recent days, damaging dozens of homes and other buildings, local authorities have said.
In West Java's Kuningan regency, hail struck five districts at around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, damaging an estimated 90 to 100 buildings, including homes, schools and shops.
Indra Bayu Permana, acting head of the Kuningan Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) said the worst damage was reported in Luragung Tonggoh and Luragung Landeuh villages in Luragung district.
“More than 50 homes in Luragung Tonggoh sustained varying degrees of damage, ranging from minor to severe, while more than 25 homes were damaged in Luragung Landeuh,” he said on Tuesday as quoted by Kompas.com.
He added that the damage tally did not include public facilities, school buildings or classrooms, some of which were reported to have collapsed, or commercial buildings along the national highway.
No fatalities were reported, Indra said. However, residents whose homes were severely damaged had to be evacuated and relocated.
He did not disclose the number of people displaced, saying the agency and other relevant authorities were still conducting a comprehensive assessment to determine the needs of affected residents and coordinate post-disaster assistance.
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In West Lampung, a hailstorm struck several areas of Balik Bukit district at around 3:41 p.m. on Sunday, damaging homes and causing a fallen tree to hit a preschool building.
The hailstorm lasted about 10 to 15 minutes, surprising residents, some of whom went outside to watch ice pellets fall onto yards and roads.
At least four homes sustained damage to their roofs, walls and structural supports as strong winds swept through the area.
Lt. Col. Rizky Kurniawan, commander of the West Lampung Military Command, said the damage was reported in Hanakau village.
"Some homes sustained damage, including collapsed roofs and support columns, as well as a garage wall that caved in. The wind also tore the roof off another house," he said as quoted by Detik.com.
No casualties were reported.
Hail is rare in tropical countries such as Indonesia because ice pellets often melt before reaching the ground as they fall through warm air beneath the atmosphere's high freezing level, although occasional occurrences have been reported.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) attributed the hailstorms in West Java and Lampung to the development of mature cumulonimbus clouds, powerful storm systems capable of producing intense rainfall, strong winds and hail.
Read also: Whirlwind kills one, injures three in North Sumatra
Iid Mujtahidin, a forecaster at the BMKG's Bandung Geophysics Station, said satellite observations showed cloud-top temperatures of between minus 75 and minus 80 degrees Celsius in Kuningan, with temperatures in the cores of some cloud cells approaching minus 80 to minus 100 degrees.
“Cloud-top temperatures below minus 75 degrees Celsius indicate that cumulonimbus clouds have developed to great heights, extending beyond the atmospheric freezing level. Such conditions, combined with powerful rising air currents, or updrafts, allow large ice particles to form and grow inside the clouds,” Iid said.
“As the ice particles become larger and heavier, the updrafts can no longer keep them suspended, causing them to fall to the ground before melting completely,” he added.
Iid attributed the storm development to warm sea temperatures, an active Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), favorable wind patterns and high atmospheric humidity, which supported the formation of powerful convective clouds over West Java.
Iqbal Arief Pangestu, a forecaster at the BMKG's Lampung office, cited similar conditions, saying atmospheric instability, abundant moisture and local factors such as West Lampung's topography could support the development of powerful convective clouds. (nal)
