January 21, 2026 | 11:41 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) is continuing its weather modification operations (OMC) to anticipate flooding in Bekasi Regency, West Java, Indonesia, after the area was hit by floods.
The Head of the BNPB's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, stated that the BNPB had conducted OMC in West Java from January 13 to 17, 2026. Abdul added that the OMC would be continued from January 20 to 25, 2026, after reviewing predictions from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
"OMC has been conducted. West Java in general, and Greater Bekasi to Karawang in particular," Abdul Muhari said when contacted on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
Abdul explained that the OMC considerations in West Java were based on global weather factors, namely the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, which was observed to be in a negative phase. ENSO is an anomaly in sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Ecuador and Peru that is higher than the normal average.
Abdul said this condition contributes to increased water vapor supply and supports the formation of rain clouds in the Jakarta and West Java regions. On a regional scale, a confluence of winds has been identified in West Java, which plays a role in increasing the accumulation of air masses and strengthening the growth of convective clouds in the region.
On a local scale, air humidity in Jakarta and West Java is generally high, especially from morning to evening, with relative humidity values ranging from 60–100 percent at 925–500 hectopascals (hPa).
In the OMC target area, moderate to high convective potential was observed, accompanied by atmospheric lability indicating moderate to strong instability of the air masses, thus significantly supporting rain cloud growth.
"In general, these conditions indicate the potential for moderate to heavy rainfall in parts of West Java from morning to early morning, and in parts of Jakarta from midnight to early morning," Abdul said.
Abdul stated that the Cessna Grand Caravan 208B PK-JVH aircraft flew a total of 20 sorties from January 13 to 17, 2026, in West Java and Banten waters. A total of 15,000 kilograms of NaCl and 5,000 kilograms of CaO were sown during that period.
Previously, the Bekasi Regency Government requested OMC support from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to address the weather in Bekasi Regency, West Java. The request followed flooding that affected 14,855 families in Bekasi Regency.
"The Bekasi Regency Government requests OMC support, considering that BNPB has been implementing OMC since January 12, 2026, in Banten, Tangerang, and West Java," said the Bekasi Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Public Relations Officer, as quoted in an official broadcast on the Bekasi Regency BPBD Instagram account @bpbd_kabbekasi on Monday, June 19, 2026.
The regional government will optimize river normalization. In addition, the local government plans to relocate residents through the construction of low-cost apartments (rusunawa). The local government also plans to convert river boundaries (GSS) and roads into parks.
In response to the flooding, the Bekasi Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has prepared a total of 70 boats to support field mobilization. The Bekasi Regency Government will prioritize meeting basic needs in evacuation centers and providing health assistance.
Hendrik Yaputra contributed for this article.
Read: Bekasi to Normalize CBL River to Overcome Annual Flooding
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