"The Aceh region has begun to enter the peak of the dry season," said Nuria, a seismologist at the BMKG-Sultan Iskandar Muda Office, here on Thursday.
On Thursday, the agency detected hotspots indicating wildfires in the districts of West Aceh (2), Central Aceh (2), Gayo Lues (2), and North Aceh (1), he informed.
Due to the lower relative humidity, the BMKG has issued a warning for potential wildfires in such regions as Banda Aceh city, and the districts of Aceh Besar, Pidie, Pidie Jaya, Aceh Jaya, East Aceh, Bener Meriah, and Central Aceh.
"Therefore, communities need to stay alert, and avoid burning something that may trigger wildfires," he said.
ANTARA reported earlier that the BMKG had projected that this year's dry season would follow the same pattern as the one seen in 2019.
A total of 28 percent of regions in Indonesia, which include 194 seasonal zones (ZOM) determined by the BMKG, were expected to experience the dry season from June this year.
BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati said the El Nino phenomenon, which is getting stronger due to the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), could trigger a drought during the dry season in Indonesia.
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Translator: Khalis S, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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