February 20, 2026 | 12:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Heavy rain lashed the Greater Jakarta area overnight from Thursday into Friday, February 19–20, 2026, triggering fresh flooding in residential neighborhoods and submerging several major roads. Authorities also reported rising river levels across parts of the capital and its satellite cities.
Indonesia’s weather agency, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), had issued early warnings for moderate to heavy rainfall starting at 07:30 PM Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on Thursday.
The initial alert covered parts of the northern coastal areas of Tangerang and Bekasi regencies, before expanding later in the evening.
By 09:27 PM, the warning encompassed the entire Greater Jakarta region. Updated several times overnight, BMKG said the potential for moderate to heavy rain would persist through Friday morning, with alerts in effect from 7:05 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Weather Forecast for Today
For Friday, BMKG forecasts rain and possible thunderstorms across the Thousand Islands, North Jakarta, Central Jakarta, and West Jakarta.
In contrast, South Jakarta and East Jakarta are expected to see lighter rainfall throughout the day.
In the greater metropolitan area:
Tangerang Regency, Tangerang City, and South Tangerang City may experience rain accompanied by thunderstorms.
Bekasi Regency and Depok are forecast to receive light rain.
Other surrounding areas are expected to remain mostly cloudy.
BMKG has urged residents in Jakarta and nearby cities to remain alert for moderate to heavy rainfall not only today but also on Saturday, February 21, 2026, warning of possible continued flooding and traffic disruptions.
Why the Rain Fell Overnight
In earlier assessments, BMKG had projected increased rainfall during the Chinese New Year period and the early days of Ramadan, citing large-scale atmospheric dynamics.
The agency said the Asian monsoon remains active, continuing to channel moist air masses toward Indonesia. This pattern is being reinforced by a cold surge from Siberia, which is expected to intensify weather systems across the region.
Additional contributing factors include cyclonic circulations detected in several surrounding waters: the Indian Ocean southwest of Lampung, west of Aceh, off West Kalimantan, and in the Pacific north of Papua.
BMKG also pointed to the influence of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO), a large-scale atmospheric wave that enhances cloud formation and rainfall in the tropics.
Its effects are being amplified by Kelvin waves, Equatorial Rossby waves, and other low-frequency atmospheric patterns. Weak La Nina conditions are also persisting, further supporting wetter-than-usual weather.
Separately, Erma Yulihastin, a researcher at the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center of Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said strengthening northerly winds have played a key role in the nighttime-to-morning downpours.
She noted that the wind intensification became more pronounced after February 15 and peaked around the start of Ramadan. The pattern is linked to equatorial cold surges (CENS), exacerbated by active Rossby waves currently moving from east to west.
“As a result, southern parts of Indonesia, especially the southeastern regions, are likely to see renewed rainfall activity,” she said.
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