TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta has once again been hit by severe flooding following days of heavy rain. As of 7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 4, floodwaters had submerged 117 neighborhood units (RT) and two major roads, forcing 3,384 residents to evacuate. The worst-hit areas included West Jakarta, South Jakarta, and East Jakarta.
While Jakarta’s floods are often blamed on poor drainage and rapid urbanization, this time, the culprit is more than just seasonal rain. Experts say the downpour was intensified by an extreme weather phenomenon known as the Mesoscale Convective Complex (MCC)—a massive storm system capable of unleashing torrential rain over a wide area for hours on end.
What Is Mesoscale Convective Complex (MCC)?
According to a 2021 study published in the Jurnal Komunikasi Fisika Indonesia (Maulana, Wicaksono, and Haryanto), MCC was first studied by Maddox in 1980. It is part of the Mesoscale Convective System (MCS), a mid-scale convective cloud system observable via enhanced infrared (IR) satellite imagery. These storm systems can span over 100,000 square kilometers—larger than entire countries
MCC is the largest type of MCS, characterized by clustered clouds lasting over six hours. Its cloud tops can drop to ≤ -32°C across 100,000 km², while its convective core reaches ≤ -52°C over 50,000 km². A defining trait of MCC is its eccentricity, setting it apart from bow echoes, squall lines, and cloud clusters.
Key MCC characteristics include:
- Cloud coverage exceeding 100,000 km², as seen in infrared satellite images.
- Lifespan over six hours, sustaining prolonged storms.
- Intense rainfall, often leading to severe flooding.
- Potential for strong winds, lightning, and extreme storms.
MCC typically forms in tropical and subtropical regions, including Indonesia. It develops over the ocean at night and moves inland by day, driven by surface temperature shifts affecting atmospheric convection. This explains why Jakarta often floods after early-morning downpours.
According to Sky Brary, MCC can trigger hail, strong winds, tornadoes, and heavy rain, forming in the late afternoon or evening and lasting into the early morning. About 400 MCC events occur worldwide each year, mainly over land, especially downwind of north-to-south mountain ranges in westerly wind zones. It is more common in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.
MCC can also generate a mesohigh, a high-pressure area caused by cool downdrafts from thunderstorms. Unlike an anticyclone, a mesohigh lacks rotational wind patterns. Winds diverge outward, sometimes creating brief pauses in storms before extreme weather resumes.
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