On Monday, hailstones from a February storm became the island of Java’s largest on record, followed by heavy rain and high gusts lasting up to 5 minutes in two sub-districts of Cianjur District, West Java Province, uprooting several trees along city roadways.
Hundreds of videos emerged showing hail impacting several locations of Java. Broken roof tiles, dented automobiles, and fallen trees were among the reported damages, causing traffic bottlenecks on the Pelajar Pejuang-Jebrod Road and the Bandung-Cianjur Highway.
The hail was largely pea-sized (10 mm), with a few peanut-sized stones thrown in for good measure (20 mm). Hailstorms are common during the transition from the dry to the rainy season, according to meteorologists, climatologists, and geophysics authorities across Indonesia.
Cumulonimbus is a tall, thick vertical cloud formed by water vapor propelled by strong upward air currents. Lightning and other harmful extreme weather, such as tornadoes and hailstones, can be produced by these clouds. They are multi-level clouds that stretch far into the sky in towers or plumes, giving them a threatening appearance. Cumulonimbus clouds, often known as thunderclouds, are the only cloud form capable of producing hail, thunder, and lightning.
A hailstorm is an uncommon occurrence in a tropical nation like Indonesia, it is not only rare, but it may also be dangerous for those who aren’t used to dealing with extreme weather. In this instance, most locals ran for cover inside their homes and listened to the pea-sized hailstones hit their tiled or tin roofs, while others literally picked up the stones to chill their ice tea.
Hailstones and strong wind reported in 2017
On Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2017, the city of Bandung, Bali was pounded by a unique mix of hail and thunder, causing many trees and signs to fall down across the island.
Surabaya and its neighboring regency Sidoarjo in East Java, Indonesia were also pounded by thunder and hail in March 2017. During this storm, a 20-year-old lady took refuge with a friend during the storm and was killed.
More hailstones in Indonesia’s forecast
Some local environmentalists say it was caused by global climate change, evidence shows that it affects the frequency and intensity of hail storms not only in hot climates like Indonesia, but for countries all over the world. Mother Nature’s fury might be unpredictable, but Indonesia’s strange weather phenomena could be the planet’s way of warning people and corporations that climate change is a real issue.
The general expectation is that as the climate warms, atmospheric elements that impact hail, such as instability, the degree of melting of falling hailstones, and wind shear, or changes in wind by height, would alter, resulting in fewer but more powerful hailstorms.
In short, more violent hail and thunderstorms are expected in the near future as a result of increasing instability in Indonesia’s atmosphere.
What is Indonesia doing about climate change?
APIK Indonesia Network is a nationwide network that focuses on climate change and forestry research, teaching, and public service operations in Indonesia. Members of the APIK Indonesia Network come from a variety of universities, research institutes, training institutions, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
This nationwide network, which was launched in 2013, is made up of seven regional networks that were started by a group of climate change specialists in the region and subsequently assisted by the Ministry of Forestry’s Standardization and Environment (Pustanling) under the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF ).
Their objective is to support the implementation of education, research, and community service for low-emission development and climate change resilience in Indonesia, and their vision is to become a knowledge hub and information bridge for climate change and forestry in Indonesia.
In addition, they gather, encourage, develop, and use science and technology in the fields of climate change and forestry. They also give scientific advice to the government in order to enhance Indonesia’s position on climate change and forestry policy at both the national and international levels.
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