Jakarta to Intensify Artificial Rainmaking Twice a Week to Face El Niño Peak
- 05 Agt 2026 21:44 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- The Jakarta Provincial Administration will intensify weather modification operations (artificial rainmaking) up to twice a week to mitigate the prolonged dry season caused by El Niño.
- Governor Pramono Anung said the policy is based on coordination with BPBD, BNPB, and BMKG, which forecast the El Niño peak to continue until late September or early October 2026.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Jakarta Provincial Administration will intensify weather modification operations (OMC), or artificial rainmaking, up to twice a week as a measure to face the prolonged dry season triggered by the El Niño phenomenon.
Jakarta Governor, Pramono Anung, said the decision was based on reports from the Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), which is coordinating with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). According to him, the policy was taken after forecasts showed that the El Niño peak would last until late September or early October 2026.
“Based on the available data, the El Niño peak will be lengthy, possibly one of the longest compared with 2023. The peak will likely last until late September or the first or second week of October, when rain will begin to fall,” he said at Jakarta City Hall on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
The Governor said the biggest challenge in implementing weather modification operations is the limited availability of clouds that can be used for seeding. Even so, the rain that fell on Tuesday night, August 5, 2026, was considered a favorable moment.
“The problem is that there may be too few clouds, but I have already issued instructions and we have made preparations. What happened last night was a stroke of good fortune, no clouds but still possible to modify,” he said.
For that reason, the Jakarta Provincial Administration has decided that artificial rainmaking will be carried out regularly every week as long as conditions allow. “So the point is, I have approved making artificial rain or weather modification once or twice a week if possible, because this will last a long time,” he said.
In addition to relying on weather modification operations, the Jakarta Provincial Administration is also preparing various mitigation measures to address the expected longer dry season. The two main concerns are the availability of clean water and the increased risk of fire.
Pramono said all city administration in Jakarta would campaign under the Jaga Jakarta movement, focusing on fire prevention and readiness to face drought.
“Therefore, the Jakarta Provincial Administration and the mayors will campaign for Jaga Jakarta in two areas; one is fire and the other is the provision of clean water, which will definitely face obstacles,” he said.
As a precaution, Governor Pramono also asked every neighborhood unit (RW) to begin preparing light fire extinguishers. He said the increasingly dry weather could raise the risk of fires and also trigger health problems such as acute respiratory infections. (Annaila Azzahra-EN)
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