July 8, 2024
JAKARTA – Several neighborhoods in Jakarta were inundated over the weekend following heavy rain in the capital last week, with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasting more heavy rain to come in the following days.
Torrential rain coupled with strong winds has hit Jakarta several times since Wednesday, causing numerous gridlocks and inundating at least 48 neighborhood units (RT) over the weekend, with floodwaters reaching up to 78 centimeters deep.
Forty of these neighborhoods were located in South Jakarta, with the rest in West and East Jakarta, tempo.co reported.
Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Isnawa Adji said on Saturday that the agency was coordinating with subdistrict heads for flood control. He also said that respective agencies had deployed water pumps to drain the floodwater, kompas.com reported.
As of Sunday, Isnawa said at least four neighborhood units in West Jakarta were still flooded, including one in the Rawa Buaya subdistrict, which reported the flooding was above knee-deep.
Separately, heavy rain on Saturday also inundated parts of seven subdistricts in South Tangerang, with floodwaters reaching almost waist height. The flood affected 673 families in Keranggan, Jelupang, West Pamulang, West Jurangmanggu, Sawah, Rempoa and Jombang subdistricts, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a press release on Sunday.
Heavy rain also caused a landslide that damaged one house in Keranggan.
The floodwaters gradually receded on Sunday, BPBD South Tangerang reported.
The agency is getting ready should more floods hit South Tangerang in the coming days, while BPBD Jakarta has also warned citizens to remain cautious about potential flooding.
The BMKG has forecast torrential rain, thunderstorms and strong winds in parts of the country, including Jakarta and Banten, from July 5 to 11 despite being in the peak of the dry season. This is caused by several weather phenomena, mainly the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) atmospheric phenomenon.
According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Madden-Julian Oscillation is a sub-seasonal atmospheric phenomenon that influences tropical precipitation in an area. It moves eastward through the Indo-Pacific Ocean region and produces anomalous rainfall patterns.
Regions that would be affected by this include Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua, according to the BMKG.
In a press release on Sunday, BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari advised people to be on their guard and evacuate to safer places if heavy rain lasts more than an hour.