Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post 15 Sep 09;
The Geophysics, Climatology and Meteorology Agency has forecasted that the rainy season will start late in most parts of Indonesia this year.
Soeroso Hadiyanto, the deputy of the climatology division, said the rainy season would begin in November in many areas of the country.
"The rainy season will be late by about 10 to 30 days. It will start in September in some areas like Aceh and the middle of Sumatra," he said.
In October, the rainy season will start in most parts of West Java and some parts of Bali.
Some of the eastern parts of the country, including East Flores in East Nusa Tenggara and Merauke in Papua will see the beginning of rainy season in December.
Southern parts of Jakarta will see the rainy season in early November while the northern parts will experience it in late November or early December.
"The late rainy season is influenced by, among other things, the El Nino phenomenon and sea temperatures around Indonesia," Soeroso said, adding that last year, the wet season began in October in most areas of the country.
