"Our prediction is that the impact will be relatively (mild) because the rainfall is evenly distributed in almost all areas of Central Sulawesi. Except for Palu, the rainfall has decreased because the rain has already poured over the mountains around Palu," head of the Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri Palu Class II Meteorological Station of BMKG, Nur Alim, informed on Tuesday.
The La Nina phenomenon has affected rainfall in Central Sulawesi, increasing precipitation by about 20 percent compared to normal rainfall, he said. This situation would persist until the end of February, he added.
The risk of flooding and landslides is predicted to start to decline greatly, as each area improves river and water flow in order to reduce the impact of such disasters, Alim said.
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The current weather conditions in Central Sulawesi are much better compared to last January, when the province recorded heavy rains, he added.
Even so, people must remain alert, as the climate in Central Sulawesi is changing because it is included in the non-zoom area, or an area with different weather conditions compared to the rest, he cautioned.
"The possibility of puddles due to rain will still occur in the Parigi Moutong, Poso, and Banggai Regencies. We hope that by the end of February, there will be no more extreme weather," Alim said.
The province is still at risk of strong winds, he forecast. However, the risk is not very significant, and it is predicted that Donggala and Poso districts will still experience strong winds when it starts to rain, he said. Strong winds usually increase over large bodies of water, therefore traditional fishermen need to remain alert for them, he added.
"The impact of La Nina in Central Sulawesi only resulted in an increase in rainfall, and over time, those periods slowly passed, meaning that at the beginning of this year, extreme disasters caused by this phenomenon had declined a bit, even if they occurred mostly in certain areas, such as slopes and other landslide-prone spots," he added.
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Translator: Mohamad Ridwan, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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