JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency predicts that extreme weather will still hit Jakarta and its surroundings until the end of this year. This extreme weather is characterized by lightning and strong winds and rain at dawn. ""It is estimated that flooding will also occur in flood pocket locations,"" said Head of the Center for Climate Change and Air Quality of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency Edvin Aldrian, last Tuesday.

Edvin explained that extreme weather like this had happened in Jakarta in 1998. But this time the phenomenon is more severe. This, said Edvin, was due to the high sea surface temperature. ""So that rainfall also remains high,"" he said.

Even so, Edvin sees no signs that a major flood will hit the capital city. As explained earlier, he predicts that flooding will only occur sporadically in places that are subscribed to flooding. This extreme cua-ca also makes the humidity level increase. ""People will feel hot even if it rains,"" he said.

This above-normal rainfall, Edvin explained, is a symptom of La Nina. La Nina is a condition when the sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean is below normal, but the waters in Indonesia are hot or the temperature is above normal. La Nina, he said, can be known from the anomalous value of sea surface temperature in the Nino (dry) area in the central Pacific Ocean.

Suzi Marsitawati, Head of Central Jakarta Parks Sub-agency, said that to anticipate extreme weather, her office has cut down shade trees on the streets in the first and second quarter of this year. ""We pruned trees that were already porous,"" she said. ""When the Meteorological Agency announces there will be heavy rainfall accompanied by wind, the activity is stepped up."" heru ibyokoi owns