BMKG issues high-seas warning as dual tropical cyclone seeds develop

2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s weather agency BMKG has detected two tropical cyclone seeds forming north of the country, warning they could trigger sea waves up to four meters high through Friday, Aug. 7.

The Acting Director of Maritime Meteorology at the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Agie Wandala Putra, said Tuesday that the two systems – designated Seed 94W and Seed 9SW – are actively influencing regional weather patterns.

“Tropical Cyclone Seed 94W is located in the Philippine Sea east of the Philippines, while Tropical Cyclone Seed 9SW was observed in the Philippine Sea west of the Philippines,” Putra said.

Putra explained that the presence of the two tropical cyclone seeds has driven a significant increase in wind speeds across northern and southern Indonesian waters.

Northern wind patterns are moving southeast to southwest at speeds reaching 27 knots, while southern winds are moving east to southeast at up to 38 knots.

Peak wind speeds were recorded in the northern Malacca Strait, the Indian Ocean west of Aceh to the Mentawai Islands, the Makassar Strait, the Banda Sea, the Seram Sea, and the Arafura Sea.

The dynamic movement of these wind patterns is expected to generate moderate waves ranging from 1.25 to 2.5 meters in waters including the Karimata Strait, the Java Sea, the Makassar Strait, Bone Gulf, the Banda Sea, and the Pacific Ocean north of Papua.

Meanwhile, higher waves between 2.5 and 4.0 meters threaten the northern Malacca Strait, the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra, and the Indian Ocean south of Java, Bali, and West Nusa Tenggara.

BMKG warned that the rough seas pose serious safety risks to all maritime traffic, ranging from small fishing boats and barges to passenger ferries and large cargo ships.

Coastal residents and mariners are urged to exercise extreme caution during this period.