Jakarta. Twitter has recently been abuzz with discussion about the hot weather in several regions of Indonesia. Many netizens are linking this condition to a sign that the rainy season is approaching.
Not a few people also complain that the air feels so stuffy that it disrupts their daily activities.
The question is, is this scorching heat really a sign that rain will fall soon?
BMKG Explanation
According to Supari, a researcher in the Climate Variability Analysis Division of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the main cause of the current hot weather is minimal cloud formation.
“The absence of rain in most parts of Indonesia in the past few days was caused by the emergence of a low pressure center in northern Indonesia, including tropical storm Bualoi ,” said Supari, quoted from Kompas.com , Saturday (27/9/2025).
This phenomenon causes water vapor that should collect in Indonesia to be drawn towards the South China Sea and waters east of the Philippines. Satellite images show more clouds forming there than over Indonesia.
As a result of these conditions, the growth of rain clouds in Indonesia, especially in the southern parts such as Java, is very minimal.
This is what makes the sun’s rays shine more freely on the earth’s surface, so that the air feels hotter and drier.
“In contrast, in some parts of Indonesia, for example in Java, there are generally fewer clouds. Not many clouds form in southern Indonesia,” said Supari.
Why is the air hot before it rains?
People often associate hot air with a sign that rain will soon fall. However, according to the BMKG, the logic is not that simple.
Hot temperatures before the rainy season often occur because clouds have not yet formed enough to produce rainfall.
With relatively clear skies, solar energy penetrates directly to the earth’s surface, causing the air to become stuffy.
This phenomenon often occurs before the change of seasons, but it does not mean that it will rain the next day.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) estimates that this hot weather is only temporary. Rainfall in Indonesia is predicted to increase again after Tropical Storm Bualoi and the low pressure center in the South China Sea weaken, or even disappear.
“Rainfall will return to normal once this regional atmospheric disturbance clears,” Supari said.
Thus, the heat that has hit the last few days is better understood as the impact of global atmospheric patterns, not simply a sign that rain will soon fall.
The BMKG urges the public to maintain their health, especially when carrying out outdoor activities in hot weather.
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