As Jakarta transitions into the rainy season, most of the Indonesian capital’s residents are probably worried about the possibility of epic flooding like in years past, but a series of tornadoes, one in Bekasi and three off the coast of Jakarta in the capital’s Pulau Seribu (Thousand Islands) subdistrict show there are other kinds of extreme weather phenomenon we need to watch out for.
The Bekasi Regional Disaster Mitigation Task Force (BPBD) says a tornado hit several homes on Jalan Raya Pangkalan II in Jakarta’s satellite city of Bekasi on Sunday afternoon.
Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries reported. However, the BPBD says a total of 20 homes were hit by the twister causing about IDR 60 million (USD 4,436) in damages, mostly to the roofs of the buildings.
The deputy head of BPBD Bekasi, Karsono, said the incident took place when heavy rains and strong winds were hammering the area. Afraid of collapse, many residents evacuated their homes in search of shelter. BPBD provided logistical support for those whose homes were damaged including food and blankets. They have also already helped residents with repairs.
Then on Monday morning at around 9 am, three tornadoes were spotted in Jakarta’s Pulau Seribu, a collection of islands located north of the capital’s coastline. The video below shows two of the twisters side by side but all three (identified as waterspout tornadoes, which only form over bodies of water) were reportedly active simultaneously.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bally3ilc4u/
The tornadoes appeared in the waters near Pulau Opak and Pulau Kaliage, two uninhabited islands. No casualties or damages were reported.
BPNP Chief Sutopo Purwo Nugroh said that extreme and unpredictable weather phenomenon was more likely during the transition period between dry and rainy season.
“The existence of the contrasting temperature differences between the surfaces on land and water in the atmosphere cause the differences in air pressure that form a tornado,” Sutopo said in a written statement received Warta Kota yesterday.
But Sutopo also mentioned the possibility of three tornadoes appearing simultaneously was very rare and could be a sign of climate change.
3 puting beliung muncul bersamaan di perairan Kepulauan Seribu DKI Jakarta. Alam sudah berubah. Cuaca ekstrem makin meningkat. pic.twitter.com/VOsT46yGsX
— Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_PN) October 23, 2017
“3 tornadoes appear simultaneously in the waters of Jakarta’s Pulau Seribu. Nature has changed. Weather extremes are increasing.”
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