Semarang – The western part of Semarang City and Kendal Regency were hit by heavy rain with hail the size of marbles, Friday (23/9) evening. Districts of Ngaliyan, Mangkang and Kaliwungu (Kendal) are three locations that were hit by hail along with strong winds.
Respati (30), one of the residents, said that the hail that caused the roof tiles of the residents’ houses to break, there were also several fallen trees. “This is the first time it’s rained hail. Many residents’ asbestos roofs were carried away by strong winds. The pillar of the prayer room collapsed, even though it was made of iron,” he said.
Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Semarang City, Winarso said, hail accompanied by strong winds caused a durian tree to fall on two houses. ”The loss suffered by residents in Podorejo is estimated at IDR 80 million (USD 5,300),” he said.
Coordinator for Observation and Information of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Ahmad Yani Semarang, Giyarto said that there is the potential of more hail falling in other areas including Greater Solo, southern Central Java, central and eastern coasts.
He said hail is a common phenomenon that often occurs during transition seasons, when there is a high probability of cumulonimbus clouds to form. Clouds formation appeared to be triggered by transitional conditions, where quite hot weather with a high level of convection. With lightning and wind in the clouds, ice crystals fall as hail when the height of the cloud base is very low.
According to BMKG, in a temporary analysis of Himawari satellite imagery on Thursday (23/9), at 19.00 – 20.30, there were growth of convective clouds (cumulonimbus) with the lowest cloud top temperature in the range of -80 to -100°C.
Responding to this phenomenon, BMKG also appealed to the public and related agencies to remain alert to the occurrence of extreme weather in the form of moderate to heavy rain accompanied by lightning or lightning and strong winds and hail at the end of September 2022.
Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Dwikorita Karnawati, said that climate change is a reinforcing factor, causing increasingly extreme weather occurring in Indonesia. “From heavy rains accompanied by lightning and thunder, tropical cyclones, high waves, to hail or long droughts,” she said.
This extreme situation, she said, when met with environmental vulnerability, often results in hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, flash floods, hurricanes, and landslides and land fires. It is also climate change that has ravaged the regularity of climate and weather in Indonesia, and has a serious impact on the sustainability of the agriculture and fisheries sector, which can lead to threats to Indonesia’s food security. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Residents of the cities of Semarang and Kendal showing hail that fell on Friday (23/9) night. (Source: local resident’s documentation/Hartatik)
