REGIONAL SUMMARY:
For the ninth week of 2023, a total of 30 disasters (23 floods, 2 landslides, and 5 wind-related) affected the region. Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines have reportedly been affected. Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) reported floods, landslides, and wind-related disaster events caused by moderate to heavy rainfall, strong winds, and overflowing of rivers in Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Kalimantan, Riau Islands, East Nusa Tenggara, and North Sumatra Provinces, Indonesia. Agensi Pengurusan Bencana (NADMA) Malaysia reported flooding in Selangor, Pahang, Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah, and Sarawak States. The Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has also reported floods caused by Northeast Monsoon and Shear Line in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Bilirian (Region VII), and Landslide in Cebu (Region VII).
HIGHLIGHT:
In the past week, intense rainfall have caused a series of floods in Johor, Melaka, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Sabah, and Sarawak States in Malaysia. As of 6 Mar 2023, at 1100 HRS UTC+7, NADMA Malaysia has reported a total of 15,159 families/53,139 persons still displaced in 289 evacuation centres in Johor, Melaka, and Pahang States. Government of Malaysia deployed SMART (Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team) to respond to the disasters and provide support and evacuation for the affected people. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, has visited the affected areas in Johor. These disasters are still within the capacity of the Government of Malaysia to response.
HYDRO-METEO-CLIMATOLOGICAL:
For the past week, data from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) showed medium to high 7-day average rainfall spreading across eastern parts of Sumatra, Central and East Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua in Indonesia; and Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia. As of reporting, there are no active tropical cyclone advisories for the ASEAN region (JTWC).
GEOPHYSICAL:
Four (4) significant earthquakes (M?5.0) were recorded in the region by Indonesia’s Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG). Mount Dukono (alert level II) in Indonesia, and Mayon (alert level 2), Taal (alert level 1), and Kanlaon (alert level 1) in the Philippines reported recent volcanic activity according to the Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
OUTLOOK:
According to the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), for the coming week, wetter conditions are expected over much of the western Maritime Continent. Drier conditions are expected over the southern Maritime Continent and southern Mainland Southeast Asia. Cooler conditions are predicted over much of the ASEAN region. For the regional assessment of extremes, there is a small increase in chance for a heavy rainfall event to occur in the parts of western Maritime Continent; and a moderate increase in chance in the parts of central and northern Myanmar and small increase in chance in parts of Papua and Maluku Islands for extreme hot conditions. La Niña conditions have been present, with signs of weakening. At the seasonal timescale, La Niña events tend to bring wetter conditions to much of the Maritime Continent during this time of the year
Sources:
ASEAN Disaster Monitoring & Response System (DMRS); ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC); Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC);
Indonesia: BNPB, BMKG, PVMBG;
Malaysia: NADMA;
Philippines: NDRRMC, PHIVOLCS;
Various news agencies.
