Has Indonesia Ever Been Hit by A Typhoon? This is The Fact!

There are various meteorological disasters whose risks are not trivial. A typhoon is one of them. It is a tropical cyclone that specifically happens in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Has Indonesia ever been hit by a typhoon?

Has Indonesia Ever Been Hit by A Typhoon?

Yes, ever, although it is rare. Totally, there were 12 tropical cyclones called typhoons in Indonesia from 2008 to 2021. In East Nusa Tenggara, actually in 2021, there was Cyclone Seroja. It is stated as the strongest typhoon in Indonesia. It is because Cyclone Seroja has 100 km/h wind speeds.

Cyclone Seroja occurred in eight days (April 5 - 12^th, 2021). The impacts are heavy rain accompanied by lightning, high sea waves, and flooding in several areas. No typhoon has hit Indonesia as strongly as Cyclone Seroja since 2021.

Indonesia is relatively rarely hit by typhoons based on historical facts. Why? The reason, Indonesia is located along the equator. The equatorial region has a very weak Coriolis effect (the force that causes moving objects to deflect due to Earth's rotation). Although rarely hit by a typhoon, Indonesia is indirectly affected by typhoons in other regions.

The Factors of Typhoon

A typhoon occurs over warm oceans. Its characteristics are strong and have circular winds at its center (the eye of the cyclone). Why does it happen? The following factors push the formation of a typhoon.

1. Warm Sea Water

A drastic change in sea water temperature that becomes hot. According to its name, a typhoon that is categorized as a tropical cyclone is driven by warm sea water, exceeding 26°C. The impact of this first factor is significant evaporation, generating energy that accelerates the storms in development.

2. Humid and Unstable Air

Air conditions need to be continuously monitored because they are a trigger for hurricanes. Humid air in the lower atmosphere will contribute to the formation of typhoons. The condensation process produces heat energy, strengthening the typhoons. Air instability also plays a role because it triggers convection (the strong upward movement of air masses).

3. The Differences in Air Pressure

Air moves from high areas to the lower. As it moves, strong winds form. The greater the difference in air pressure, the faster the air moves, creating a typhoon.

4. The Influence of a Coriolis Effect

The movement of a typhoon is influenced by the Coriolis effect. What is it?  A Coriolis effect is the force that causes moving objects to deflect due to Earth's rotation. It can divert winds into vortices, thus forming a typhoon. However, this effect is lower in the equatorial area.

The Terrible Sides of Typhoon

A typhoon is a phenomenon that arises from various extreme conditions. The appearance of a typhoon also impacts the conditions of the areas it passes through. Historically, 90% of tropical cyclones are deadly. Has Indonesia ever been hit by a typhoon? Yes, ever. So, here are the terrible sides of typhoons.

1. Heavy Rain with Thunder and Lightning

Areas struck by typhoons are directly affected. During a typhoon, the winds move rapidly and even more. These winds carry very high levels of water vapor and move from high air pressure to the lower. 

At the end, there occurs a heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning, after the wind movement. This condition stays for hours or days, with fluctuating intensity, depending on wind movement. Its interaction with other atmospheric factors also influence the duration of bad weather.

2. High Waves

The next immediate impact of a typhoon is high waves. Along with heavy rain and lightning, sea waves become high and sea levels rise dramatically. Coastal areas become vulnerable and inundated, even extending to areas beyond the coast.

3. Wind Pump Area

In addition to the direct impacts discussed previously, there are indirect impacts on other areas surrounding the typhoon's path. One such impact is the formation of a wind gyre. This area is elongated and filled with thick clouds that connect to the typhoon's clouds, resembling a tail. The effect is to increase rainfall intensity.

4. Wind Bend Area

Another indirect impact is the wind bend area. This area causes more convective clouds to form, increasing the intensity of heavy rainfall.

5. Moisture Deficit Area

A moisture deficit area forms as a tropical cyclone develops. This area is within a certain radius around the zone of cyclone tropics. Areas with minimal humidity conditions are naturally dry, and then tends to be sunny and cloudless.

Has Indonesia ever been hit by a typhoon? Yes, although it is rare. However, a typhoon also impacts surrounding areas, so they must be seriously anticipated. In disaster management, the existence of the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) is very useful. It holds many roles, such as monitoring, prediction, and analysis, to give clear information when issuing early warnings.

It is very effective to combine sirens or alarms with emergency messages when providing early warnings about typhoons. These messages contain detailed information, so the public can better understand and know what to do.

The government can facilitate this by providing emergency message delivery machines. Currently, machines are available that can send messages via SMS (Short Message Service). Messages can be sent in real time to mobile phones. The product is available at smsbroadcaster.com.