Forest fires continue to expand in Riau

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Dark clouds blot the sky of Jakarta, on Thursday (21/02/2019). The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency has announced an early warning of extreme weather that will hit a number of regions in Indonesia in the next few days. This will be caused by the presence of a mass of low-layer wet air concentrated over the western waters of the northern part of Sumatra, North Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Bangka Belitung, Lampung, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Southeast Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, North Maluku, West Papua and Papua.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Below normal rainfall has fallen in the eastern coastal region of Sumatra since early February, increasing the vulnerability to forest and land fires. During the last two weeks, the number of hotspots in Riau has increased to 80 locations, rising from 24 locations in the previous week.

Herizal, of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), said in Jakarta that the area near the equator had a different character from other regions in Indonesia. These areas cover most of the western coast of Sumatra, central Sumatra, western and central Kalimantan, central and southeast Sulawesi, and parts of northern Papua, which have two peaks of rainy and dry seasons.