December 26, 2025 | 02:31 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned that heavy rainfall will continue to affect large parts of the country, particularly Sumatra and surrounding regions, through January 1, 2026.
The agency said the extreme weather could be accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms.
BMKG’s Director of Public Meteorology, Andri Ramdhani, said areas expected to experience intense rainfall include Aceh, North Sumatra, Bengkulu, and West Nusa Tenggara.
“This forecast reflects highly dynamic weather conditions that may continue to change in line with the latest atmospheric developments,” Andri said in a written statement issued on Friday, December 26, 2025.
BMKG also predicted widespread heavy rain between December 26 and 28, affecting Java, West and East Nusa Tenggara, Central and South Kalimantan, and South Papua. Meanwhile, strong winds are likely in several regions, including Banten, Central Java, East Java, Bali, South Sulawesi, and Maluku.
BMKG Deputy for Meteorology Guswanto explained that the prolonged wet conditions are driven by a combination of climatic and atmospheric factors.
These include a weak La Niña phenomenon, a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), strengthened Asian monsoon winds, and warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures across Indonesian waters.
In addition, active atmospheric waves, such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), Kelvin waves, and Equatorial Rossby waves, are contributing to increased cloud formation and rainfall intensity.
Guswanto also pointed to the influence of Tropical Cyclone Grant in the southern Indian Ocean near Bengkulu, as well as a developing system known as Potential Tropical Cyclone 96S south of West Nusa Tenggara. These systems, he said, are slowing wind movement and causing convergence that can intensify rainfall in several regions.
BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fathani urged the public and authorities to remain alert to rapidly changing weather conditions and their potential impacts, including floods, landslides, and transportation disruptions.
“BMKG advises the public and all stakeholders to stay calm but vigilant, particularly when planning travel by land, sea, or air, as well as outdoor activities such as religious gatherings, tourism, and New Year’s Eve celebrations,” Faisal said.
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