REGIONAL SUMMARY:
For the tenth week of 2023, a total of 26 disasters (20 floods, 5 landslides, and 1 earthquake) affected the region. Indonesia and the Philippines have reportedly been affected. Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) reported floods and landslides caused by moderate to heavy rainfall, strong wind, high tide, overflowing of rivers and drainage channels, and unstable soil conditions in Aceh, Banten, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Riau, Riau Islands, Lampung, West Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulwesi, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, and North Sumatra, Indonesia. Meanwhile in the Philippines, a series of earthquake with maximum magnitude of M5.9 occurred in Davao de Oro (Davao Region) affecting Davao Region (Region IX) as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
HIGHLIGHT:
Series of floods since 1 Mar (week 9) in several States of Malaysia still exists. As of 13 Mar 2023, at 1100 HRS UTC+7, Agensi Pengurusan Bencana (NADMA) Malaysia has reported a total of 11,546 families/41,037 persons still displaced in 141 evacuation centres in Johor, Melaka, Pahang, and Sarawak States.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), a series of earthquakes with a magnitude of M5.3 (depth of 148 km on 6 Mar at 1053 HRS UTC+7), M5.9 (depth of 2 km on 7 Mar at 0102 HRS+7), and M5.6 (depth of 11 km on 7 Mar at 0347 HRS+7), occurred in Davao Region. As of 12 March, the NDRRMC reported that the impacts of these earthquakes in Davao Region has reached 6.7K persons (31.1K families) affected, 60 injured, 22.8K displaced, 2.7K damaged houses, 13 roads, 1 bridge, and damages to infrastructure amounting to 725.4K USD. In response, 294.7K USD worth of assistance have been provided to the affected communities. Meanwhile, in Natuna, Riau Islands Province, Indonesia, landslides caused by heavy rainfall on 13 March cost the life of 46 individual, 8 persons still missing, 4 persons injured, displaced 2.2K persons, and damaged 100 houses as reported by BNPB. Local disaster management agencies have carried out necessary actions, continue to monitor, and assess the situation.
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 southern parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua in Indonesia; and Sarawak in Malaysia. As of reporting, there are no active tropical cyclone advisories for the ASEAN region (JTWC).
GEOPHYSICAL:
Seven (7) significant earthquakes (M>5.0) were recorded in the region by Indonesia’s Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) and PHIVOLCS. Mount Semeru (alert level III), Merapi (alert level III), Anak Krakatau (alert level III), Karangetang (alert level III), and 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 PHIVOLCS.
OUTLOOK:
According to the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), for the coming week, wetter conditions are expected over much of the northeastern Maritime Continent. Drier conditions are expected over the southern Maritime Continent. 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 Northern Borneo, northern Sulawesi, and southern Philippines; and a small increase in chance for extreme hot conditions to occur in the parts of central Myanmar. 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.
