BMKG: 31 Cities May See Rain on 3 November 2026

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued an early weather warning for today, Tuesday, 3 November 2026. As many as 31 cities across Indonesia could see rain ranging from light to moderate intensity, some potentially accompanied by lightning.

BMKG forecaster Ina Indah W said atmospheric dynamics in the form of a cyclonic circulation have been observed off the west coast of Aceh. The condition is fueling rain-cloud growth in several regions, especially northern to central Sumatra — Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Riau should be alert for moderate to heavy rain accompanied by lightning and strong winds.

BMKG forecasts thunderstorms potentially hitting Padang, while moderate rain is expected over Merauke. Light rain could fall in 29 cities: Medan, Pekanbaru, Tanjung Pinang, Jambi, Pangkalpinang, Palembang, Bengkulu, Bandar Lampung, Jakarta, Serang, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, Mataram, Tanjung Selor, Samarinda, Palangka Raya, Banjarmasin, Pontianak, Manado, Gorontalo, Mamuju, Ternate, Ambon, Sorong, Nabire, and Jayawijaya.

Beyond rain, BMKG asks aviation operators to watch for cumulonimbus cloud growth in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu, Riau, Banten, West Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, West Papua, and Central Papua. These clouds are dangerous for flights as they can trigger severe turbulence.

For the maritime sector, fishers and sea transport operators are urged to beware of waves reaching 2.5 to 4 meters. High waves are expected in the Indian Ocean west of Bengkulu to Lampung, the Indian Ocean south of East Java, the Maluku Sea, and the Pacific Ocean north of Maluku.

Coastal communities are also asked to watch for potential tidal flooding (rob) along the coasts of West Java, Central Java, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. Early November marks the seasonal transition, with the Madden-Julian Oscillation active and Tropical Cyclone Seed 91B helping fuel rain-cloud growth.

Early November is Indonesia's seasonal transition (pancaroba) — when wind patterns shift and the atmosphere turns unstable. Short-lived extreme rain is most common in this window: clear mornings, cloudy middays, torrential late-afternoon downpours with lightning. Today's BMKG warning is a textbook pancaroba picture, amplified by three atmospheric triggers working at once.

For the public, three things deserve attention beyond carrying an umbrella. First, localized flooding and landslides in prone areas — moderate-to-heavy rain in short bursts is their classic trigger. Second, sailing safety: 2.5-to-4-meter waves are dangerous for fishing boats and small vessels; postpone going to sea where warnings apply. Third, coastal tidal flooding — increasingly frequent with sea-level rise — now expected along the coasts of West Java, Central Java, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. Keep monitoring BMKG's official channels; forecasts can be updated every few hours.