Normally, in Indonesia, October is the beginning of rainy season and it is also the end of dry season. But in the last ten years, there was anomaly on this nature of weather. April and October as starting points to forecast the weather are not reliable anymore. I am not an expert in climate change but I guess what experts said about nature changes caused by global warming has influenced the way we count the seasons. What recently happened in Jambi City about the weather showed me that I have to revamp the way I forecast the weather, October is not a sign to have rainy days anymore.
On the other side, air pollution in Jambi City by intentional forest and bush fires which usually occurs in dry season has been much worse than ever. I think people who triggered the fire to burn bushes miscalculated in weather forecasting. The rain that they think would fall in had never come and what they had done with firing bush and forest led smog to mask Jambi City.
The situation burdened people who lives in Jambi City and other areas in Province of Jambi to live with air pollution. Schools closed due to prevent kids having respiratory illness and outdoor activities would be a nightmare to do. But, still there is an advantage with this smog (it is the way Indonesians to think that there is always a positive side with a bad situation). Dry season's sunshine blocked by smog haze, reducing ambient temperatures into moderate ones helping people to avoid sunburn, in dry season sunshine would be much hotter.
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| Sunshine blocked by smog haze |
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| People lazy to do outdoor activities |
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| Thick smog |
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| No kids appeared in school area |
So, pics above reflected smog condition in Jambi City area, in the end of dry season, mid of October 2014. And as usual, like other past years, the authorities said that smog caused by bush and forest fires even most people here know that bush and forest fires triggered by land clearing, burned by irresponsible people with economy motives, a bad habit and bad tradition, only in Sumatera.
