REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- More rainfall is forecast in the next seven days in Sumatra and Kalimantan where forest and land fires have been raging so far, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) here on Thursday.
"Based on the forecast by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Sumatra and Kalimantan will experience more rainfall in the week ahead," BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho remarked.
He explained that due to extensive cloud buildup in the regions, the efforts will be intensified to create artificial rain to help fight the current forest and land fires in the regions.
"We will utilize the increasing formation of clouds to create artificial rain," he affirmed.
According to the BMKG, the increase in cloud cover over Sumatra and Kalimantan is a positive development for the current firefighting efforts, he pointed out.
"The condition can maximize the technological efforts to conduct weather modification or cloud seeding operations," he emphasized.
He said the current situation is very different from the extreme dry conditions observed several weeks ago.
"Earlier, the atmospheric conditions over the sea and the weather in Indonesia were very dry in addition to a tropical cyclone in the Philippines that had absorbed water vapor and prevented cloud formation over Indonesia," he explained.
Smoke particles suspended in the atmosphere also absorbed the water vapor and prevented the formation of clouds, he added.
"Even though the clouds emerged, they failed to produce rain," he pointed out.
In view of this, he hoped for an increase in cloud cover in line with the forecast that would help to optimize the firefighting efforts.
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