Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

Hot temperature High rates have occurred in a number of countries lately, such as Indonesia and India, prompting local experts to compare them.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) compared the hot temperatures that occurred in Indonesia and India, and explained the causes.

People have been feeling hot and humid temperatures in several parts of Indonesia since early May 2022. These conditions have led some people to associate it with a heatwave that occurred in India at the same time.

According to BMKG data records, during this period, at least 2 to 8 BMKG weather stations reported maximum air temperature above 35 degrees Celsius. Weather stations in Kalimaru (East Kalimantan) and Ciputat (Banten) even recorded a maximum temperature of around 36 degrees Celsius consecutively for several days.

Even so, the BMKG assures that hot temperatures in Indonesia are not included in the category of heat waves like in India.

“The occurrence of hot temperatures in Indonesia is not categorized as a heat wave like in India because it does not meet the definition of an extreme weather event by the World Meteorological Agency (WMO), namely an anomaly 5 degrees warmer than the climatological average”. maximum temperature in one place and lasted at least 5 days,” said Plt. Urip Haryoko, BMKG Deputy Climatologist, in a BMKG statement.

The BMKG explained that heat waves usually also occur in a wide range caused by certain weather circulations, causing warm air masses to build up. Therefore, the hot temperature that occurs is considered a natural thing.

In the climatological analysis, most air temperature observation sites in Indonesia show two maximum temperature peaks, namely April/May and September. It is said to occur due to the influence of the position of the apparent movement of the sun and also the predominance of early sunny weather or the peak of the dry season.

The maximum temperature of around 36 degrees is also not the highest temperature ever recorded in Indonesia, as the record for the highest temperature ever recorded was 40 degrees at Larantuka (NTT) on September 5, 2012.

“However, the temperature anomaly that is warmer compared to several other regions in Indonesia indicates other factors that amplify the peak air temperature period,” he explained.