The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) has installed a weather dashboard at the command post handling the response to the Mount Semeru eruption to support disaster mitigation efforts and search and rescue (SAR) operations.
“Currently, we have installed a number of supporting equipment to monitor the weather condition at Mount Semeru,” BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati said in a statement received here on Monday.
The weather information display comprises Himawari-8 Satellite Imagery, Weather Radar Imagery, Upper Air Conditions for Aviation, Air Quality Conditions for monitoring the distribution of volcanic ash, as well as a modeling system for forecasting the ash distribution and the weather for the next few days, she informed.
She said she inspected the equipment to ensure that it was functioning well so that all information released by BMKG can be accessed and used by the public.
Furthermore, weather information will be updated periodically for protecting the safety of refugees as well as SAR teams that are still looking for the missing victims since the rainy season has started, Karnawati said.
“It aims to anticipate the bad weather and lava floods that can threaten the safety of the refugees and SAR teams. Hence, we assist the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) by providing weather forecasts for early warning of the volcanic mudflow,” she remarked.
In addition, the BMKG is providing information on the distribution of volcanic ash to the Transportation Ministry and aviation authorities to ensure the safety of aircraft flights, she added.
Furthermore, the agency has dispatched a number of teams from nine BMKG stations in East Java to keep residents safe from the threat of potential disasters that might be triggered by weather factors, she said.
The public can also access the weather dashboard through mhews.bmkg.go.id/semeru, she added.
Source: Antara News