TEMPO, Tuesday, 20 February, 2007 | 18:18 WIB
Tornado Threatens Yogyakarta and Jakarta
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: A tornado that hit some parts of Yogyakarta and Jakarta
two days ago was predicted to affect the areas again during this rainy season.
Tyar Prasetyo, Data and Information Section Head at the Meteorology and
Geophysics Agency (BMG) Yogyakarta, said that at least five areas in Yogyakarta
Province are critical.
In addition to Yogyakarta which is low land, the wind will come over to the western
part of Sleman including Godean Subdistrict, Minggir and Moyudan also Brebah
Subdistrict including around Adisutjipto Airport. Some areas in Bantul areas are also
threatened by winds similar to a tornado.
According to Endro Santoso, climatologist from BMG Information Section Head, "Until
the transition season, the possibility of hurricane still exists."
A tornado will probably hit southern Jakarta and Bogor. This is because, according to
Endro, the areas are nearer to mountains where there are many clouds.
He said that the tornado duration is very brief, less than ten minutes. In terms of
Indonesia, the maximum speed is 40 knot or 72 kilometers per hour. According to
Endro, the wind's speed is categorized as very fast.
Athe tornado which occurred two days ago in Jakarta, according to Endro, was
because of low clouds and sufficient humidity, 80 percent, or a high evaporation rate.
When the tornado hits, he said, is difficult to forecast even an hour prior. "The
potential of this wind is very fast, it could occur anytime," he said.
In the disaster on Sunday in Yogyakarta, the whirling wind ruined 1,200 buildings and
wounded 49. Syaiful Amin, Mustafa Moses and Idayanie
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