The Christmas 2017 and New Year 2018 holidays will take place amidst extreme weather, with heavy rains and high waves.
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The Christmas 2017 and New Year 2018 holidays will take place amidst extreme weather, with heavy rains and high waves.
The warning comes from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), as quoted in this daily. The BMKG’s extreme weather forecast must, of course, be heeded by those of us who will celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays. All relevant parties, notably the Transportation Ministry, must ensure that transportation safety on land, at sea and in the sky is a highly important and foremost issue. The safety of passengers is absolute and non-negotiable.
We hope the BMKG will continue to provide the latest information on extreme weather conditions. This is the major role of the BMKG in using its science to give a kind of “early warning” to meet the public’s need for upcoming conditions. Their job is to determine the preparations that must be undertaken to face the extreme weather that is likely in the next two weeks.
Detailed information has been given. The risk of storms and high waves are being monitored in the Riau Islands, the Karimata Strait, Bangka Belitung, Lampung, Banten, the Java Sea and South Kalimantan. Waves reaching up to 7 meters high will appear on the South China Sea; heavy rainfall will arrive on Dec. 19-23.
Responding to the BMKG’s weather predictions, we hope the government will point out who will manage the transportation operations over the Christmas and New Year holidays; whether management of the transportation operations will fall fully under the Transportation Ministry, or if it will also involve other parties.
The risk of storms and high waves are being monitored in the Riau Islands, the Karimata Strait, Bangka Belitung, Lampung, Banten, the Java Sea and South Kalimantan.
The National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and regional administrations must also take part and be on the alert to anticipate the situation. According to Transportation Ministry data, an estimated 5.9 million people will travel during the Christmas and New Year holidays. A single “command” is needed to prepare the operational plan for transportation and process BMKG data, as well as determine further operational steps.
Of course, members of the public must also understand that the safety of travelers is the priority. This situation must be understood together, so that people will not blame each other if there are flight or shipping delays due to the weather. The public must also anticipate that the Christmas and New Year holidays will take place under unpredictable weather conditions, so they must plan their holiday travels as well as possible.
We believe that, with mutual and organized understanding, the Christmas and New Year holidays as a break from the pressure of regular activities, can be enjoyed and passed in an appropriate manner.