Head of the Indonesian Climatology Station for the Jayapura region, Sulaiman, acknowledged that the impact of El Nino is now starting to be felt with increasing air temperatures in a number of areas in West Papua. “It is true that currently the air temperature is starting to increase in a number of areas in West Papua, although the increase has not yet reached the highest level. Currently the air temperature is around 33-35 degrees Celsius,” said Sulaiman in Jayapura.

He explained that even though there was an increase in air temperature leading to the dry season, local rain still occurred frequently. This is because the Madden Julian Oscillation is in a dry phase and there is no rain, even if there is rain it is only local.

According to Sulaeman, conditions influenced by El Nino are expected to last until the end of the year and the dry season will peak between August-September and enter the western monsoon, which determines the rainy season in November.

Later, the forces of El Nino and the western monsoon will be separated from each other. “We will continue to monitor developments in this weather change,” said Sulaiman.

“In Papua Province, the areas that will experience the impact of drought or dryness are Jayapura, Mountainous Papua and Central Papua,” Sulaiman added.