JAKARTA (ANN/THE JAKARTA POST) – The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued a stark warning regarding the potential for extreme weather conditions during the upcoming Aidilfitri season, a period marked by the traditional mudik or exodus of millions across Indonesia.
BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati emphasised the urgency of the situation, urging travellers, transportation service providers, and operators to remain vigilant due to the volatile nature of Indonesia’s atmosphere.
With the Transportation Ministry estimating that over 71 per cent of Indonesians will partake in this year’s Aidilfitri exodus, roughly translating to more than 193 million travellers, the impact of extreme weather could significantly disrupt travel plans to and from hometowns.
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 Aidilfitri, 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 travellers to exercise caution during the holiday period by not travelling 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.
