Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has initiated weather modification operations (WMO) in Lampung and Central Java provinces starting Thursday, January 23, 2025. The operations aim to accelerate emergency response efforts following devastating floods and landslides in the two regions.
Abdul Muhari, BNPB’s Head of Disaster Data, Information, and Communication, confirmed the operations in a statement on Friday (January 24), as reported by CNN Indonesia.
“In Lampung Province, the WMO is planned for five flight sorties. Yesterday, two sorties were conducted from Radin Inten II Airport, dispersing 2,000 kilograms of sodium chloride (NaCl) over the skies of the ‘Gateway to Sumatra,'” said .
According to Muhari, the aircraft, identified as PK-SNG, is scheduled to continue cloud seeding operations today in Lampung. The salt is being dispersed into rain-bearing clouds in areas prone to heavy rainfall.
“The objective is to redistribute rainfall, preventing it from falling over areas currently undergoing emergency recovery following severe flooding,” Muhari explained.
Affected locations include Pesawaran Regency, Lampung Regency, East Lampung Regency, and Bandar Lampung City, which were hit by significant flooding earlier this week.
WMO in Central Java
In addition to Lampung, BNPB is also conducting weather modification operations in Central Java to support emergency response efforts for landslides and floods. The impacted areas include Pekalongan Regency, Grobogan Regency, Kendal Regency, Batang Regency, and Demak Regency.
“In Pekalongan, joint teams are still conducting search and rescue operations for victims of a landslide in Petungkriyono District,” Muhari stated.
On Thursday, a Caravan aircraft identified as PK-SNN carried out its first weather modification operation in Central Java. The flight lasted 4 hours and 18 minutes, dispersing 2,000 kilograms of NaCl over the northern waters of Central Java at an altitude of 8,000 feet.
Read also : Indonesia Weather Alert! Severe Flooding Hit Multiple Region Across Central Java Amid Extreme Weather
“The WMO operations in Central Java are planned to continue until Friday (January 24), with the command center based at Ahmad Yani International Airport in Semarang,” Muhari added.
These operations are part of BNPB’s broader efforts to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events and support affected communities as they recover from the disaster.
(Raidi/Agung)
