PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) again flew the PK-SNM caravan aircraft on Saturday (15/3) evening, continuing the Weather Modification Operation (OMC) in the skies of West Java during the second decade (ten days) period, March 11 - 20, 2025.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said that this operation was carried out following up on the weather forecast analysis from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) which monitored the movement of rain clouds that were still high in the eastern part of West Java.

"The BNPB OMC team's night flight started at 20.00 WIB, aiming to reduce the "supply" of air masses that have the potential to enter the Jabodetabek area considering that the weather monitoring in the Bogor area showed heavy rain of more than 50 mm, and the Majalengka area was monitored to have extreme rain reaching 156 mm," explained Abdul Muhari.

In 2 hours and 28 minutes, the first PK-SNM sortie successfully sowed 1,000 kilograms of seeding material in the form of Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Tonight's sowing targeted the clouds

"Cumulus Congestus" in the Northeastern Waters of West Java (northern Karawang, Subang, Indramayu, Sumedang, and Majalengka).

Throughout Saturday (15/3), a total of seven OMC flight sorties were carried out, consisting of three sorties each from the DKI Jakarta and West Java BPBD teams in the morning until noon, and one night flight sortie from the BNPB team.

Meanwhile, the total flights of the BNPB OMC Team in the second phase of operations (11-20 March 2025) were recorded at 7 sorties with the seeding material used reaching a total of 7,000 kilograms of Sodium Chloride (NaCl).

In the second phase of OMC, the BNPB OMC Team's movement focuses on security at night. This is done by referring to the forecast of the potential "supply" of rain clouds on March 11-15, 2025 from BMKG which still tends to have the potential to increase rain to the heavy to extreme category in the Jabodetabek and West Java areas at night.

Meanwhile, during the day, the OMC operation was carried out by the DKI Jakarta BPBD from the Halim Pedanakusuma Air Force Base post and the West Java Provincial BPBD from the Husein Sastranegara Air Force Base post, using 1 TNI-AU aircraft each.

And, on Sunday (16/3), BNPB moved the BNPB OMC TEAM post from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base to Husein Sastranegara Air Force Base. This is by considering predictions from satellites and weather radars of cloud growth and the potential for extreme rain predominantly occurring in the eastern and southern parts of West Java which predominantly occur at night and early morning.

Abdul Muhari emphasized that the government is committed to mitigating hydrometeorological disasters due to high rainfall that can trigger floods and landslides in various regions.

"Weather modification operations are one of the efforts to reduce rainfall that has the potential to fall in the Jabodetabek area, thereby minimizing the risk of further flooding," he said.

"We urge the public to participate in preparedness for potential risks of extreme weather disasters by not throwing garbage in drainage channels, and cleaning drainage channels and river basins regularly," concluded Abdul Muhari.