File photo shows people wading through flood water due to heavy rains and overflow of Citarum river at Bojongasih village in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. (Photo by Septianjar Muharam/Xinhua)
JAKARTA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's meteorology, climatology and geophysical agency BMKG on Monday issued a warning against extreme weather conditions including hailstones as the Southeast Asian country was entering a transitional season.
"There is a big potential of extreme weather during the transition from dry season to rainy season, including heavy rains with thunderstorms, strong winds, and hailstones, across Indonesia," head of the BMKG Dwikorita Karnawati said in a statement.
The BMKG said the beginning of the rainy season in Indonesia would generally occur in the period from October to December this year, while the peak of the rainy season is supposed to happen in January to February in 2024.
Karnawati said that rainfalls could trigger hydrometeorological disasters, including flash floods and landslides. "Therefore, we warn people who live in hilly areas that are prone to landslides to remain vigilant and careful," she added.
She noted that weather conditions in Indonesia would still be unstable, with wind direction varying a lot. This will cause sudden change in the weather from hot to rainy or vice versa in a very short period of time.
Karnawati urged local government and related authorities to take mitigation measures to prevent hydrometeorological disasters, particularly in regions at high risks of floods and landslides.
"Local governments are expected to optimally educate the public on how to deal with disaster risks that may occur during the rainy season and the importance of paying attention to early warnings so that we can reduce the losses that could be caused by disasters," she said. ■
