Tropical Cyclone Senyar Crosses Aceh and Turns Back to the Strait of Malacca

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Tropical cyclone Senyar has made landfall in North Aceh and as of Thursday (27/11) morning, it is still located over East Aceh. This cyclone is predicted to move eastward, heading back towards the Malacca Strait, before it is expected to cross into Malaysia. In addition to Indonesia, floods have also been reported in Malaysia and Thailand.

Data from the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Thursday (27/11) morning indicated that the center of Cyclone Senyar is currently located near Langsa, at coordinates 4.4 degrees North Latitude and 97.9 degrees East Longitude, or approximately 120 km southeast of Lhokseumawe. The maximum wind speed at the center of this cyclone reaches 35 knots or 65 kilometers per hour, with a movement direction towards the east towards the Malacca Strait.

The Head of BMKG, Teuku Faisal Fathani, has warned that the presence of Cyclone Senyar has increased the supply of water in the warm waters of the Malacca Strait, triggering the growth of convective clouds in the northern part of Sumatra.

The day before, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued an early warning of extreme weather threats, following the formation of this tropical cyclone and its movement towards land. Faisal hopes that this information does not cause panic, but rather increases vigilance and preparedness in facing the potential of extreme weather. This early warning is crucial to be known so that mitigation actions can be taken as early as possible to minimize damage and casualties.

"With the principle of being alert, vigilant, and safe, it is hoped that BMKG's early warnings can be properly mitigated to minimize damage and loss of life. So, early warnings provide early action, leading to zero casualties," he said.

Data from the BMKG rainfall monitoring indicates that rain with an intensity of 310 mm per day was recorded at the Malikussaleh Meteorological Station in North Aceh this morning. Meanwhile, at the Maimun Saleh Meteorological Station in Sabang, it reached 162 mm per day, and at the Iskandar Muda Meteorological Station in Aceh Besar, it was 147 mm per day. Rainfall intensity above 150 mm per day is categorized as extreme.

With a movement speed of approximately 10 km per hour, on Thursday around 19:00 WIB, Cyclone Senyar is predicted to be located at coordinates 4.5° N, 99.0° E or about 215 km southeast of Lhokseumawe.

BMKG's analysis indicates that within the next 24 hours, tropical cyclone Senyar will continue to have a direct impact on extreme weather conditions and waters in Indonesia, resulting in very heavy to extreme rainfall in the regions of Aceh and North Sumatra. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected in West Sumatra, while moderate to heavy rainfall is anticipated in Riau.

Movement Direction

If a day earlier the tropical cyclone Senyar was moving westward, the latest data indicates that this cyclone has reversed direction towards the east, returning towards the Malacca Strait. If it continues eastward, this cyclone Senyar is predicted to cross over Malaysian territory.

Climate researcher from BMKG, Siswanto, stated that the movement of Cyclone Senyar is influenced by the latent energy of the warmer Malacca Strait. The warming of the waters in the Malacca Strait from its normal conditions serves as fuel that increases the risk of the formation of this tropical cyclone.

"Sea surface temperatures (SST) around 29–30 degrees Celsius in the Malacca Strait support deep convection and the strengthening of tropical systems. The sea conditions at that time were relatively warm, higher than the climatological average, thus providing latent energy for the growth of tropical systems," said Siswanto.

A tropical cyclone is moving closer to Indonesian territory and has a significant impact.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Meteorology at BMKG, Andri Ramdhani, explained that Indonesia is indeed located near the equator, which theoretically does not support the formation of or the passage of tropical cyclones. Nevertheless, Andri stated that in the last five years, there have been quite a number of tropical cyclones moving closer to Indonesian territory and having significant impacts.

"The phenomenon of Tropical Cyclone Senyar is classified as uncommon in the waters of the Malacca Strait, especially if it crosses land. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency emphasizes the importance of community preparedness and vigilance regarding the potential weather impacts that may arise as this system moves around the area," said Andri.

Impact of disaster

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has compiled incidents of hydrometeorological disasters caused by the movement of Cyclone Senyar during the period from Tuesday (25/11) to Wednesday (26/11). Floods have been reported to have struck various regions in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

In North Aceh, 2 people have been reported dead due to flooding. Meanwhile, in North Sumatra, floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 25 individuals. In the city of Langsa, heavy rainfall that occurred over the past few days resulted in flooding on Tuesday (25/11) at 10:20 AM WIB. A total of 420 residents from 150 families living in Gampong Paya Bujok Seulemak, Langsa Baro District, were affected by this incident. The water level ranged from 20 to 40 centimeters.

Not only in Indonesia, floods are also occurring in neighboring countries. An AFP report on Wednesday stated that tens of thousands of people in Thailand and neighboring Malaysia have been displaced due to widespread flooding, with streets submerged, homes inundated, and at least 34 people dead.

The Thai government declared a state of emergency in Songkhla Province on Tuesday, as heavy rain has been pouring down on several provinces in the south since the weekend.

A resident of the city told a Thai public broadcaster that the entire ground floor of the building was submerged, with water reaching approximately three and a half meters at its highest point.

The spokesperson for the Thai government, Siripong Angkasakulkiat, stated to reporters that 33 people have died in seven provinces, including due to drowning and electrocution.

In Malaysia, floods caused by heavy rain over several days have affected eight states, and weather forecasters predict more rain will fall in the region in the coming days. More than 27,000 people have been evacuated to dozens of temporary shelters this week, with one death reported in one of the hardest-hit states, Kelantan, on the northeast coast, according to rescue officials.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned that thunderstorms will continue in the northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Perak.

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