We need to be alert and we need to be careful.
Palu, Central Sulawesi (ANTARA) - Five regions in Central Sulawesi are on flood and landslide alert status due to the high rainfall received there, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

According to the agency's data recorded at the Palu Meteorology Station, these five regions are Tolitoli, Buol, Poso, Tojo Unauna, and Banggai.

"Tomorrow, on May 6, (there will be high rainfall) for Tolitoli and Buol," Head of the Palu Meteorology Station Nur Alim noted here on Thursday.

Moreover, the BMKG has mapped out several regions in Central Sulawesi that potentially and frequently experience floods and landslides due to the weather.

"We need to be on alert, and we need to be careful. At the very least, I already delivered the information to the disaster handling stakeholders, so that they are ready," he stated.

The intensity of rainfall in Central Sulawesi, from moderate to severe, depends on the topography of each region, he noted.

Such information is not intended to trigger panic among the people, but rather, it is part of the mitigation efforts and the government's commitment to minimizing disaster risks, he explained.

In the last several weeks, various regions in Central Sulawesi have continued to receive rains of moderate to severe intensity along with winds.

As a result, several regions in the province experience floods and landslides.

Meanwhile, the agency also urged fishermen to sail from morning until noon. This is since the height of waves rises from afternoon until evening.

"Fishermen should go to the ocean in the morning until 2 p.m. local time only. There is a likelihood of 1.5-meter-high waves that come afterwards," Alim explained.

The agency has also identified a trend of an increase in rainfall in several regions outside Central Sulawesi based on the latest atmosphere dynamics analysis result.

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Translator: Kristina N, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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