Jakarta Deputy Governor Rano Karno announced that the city’s New Year celebrations for the 2025–2026 period will be held in a simple manner and without fireworks, citing unfavorable weather conditions as one of the main considerations.

“The governor has stated that there will be no fireworks this New Year, so there will be no perception that we are being extravagant,” Karno said on Monday.

He acknowledged that Jakarta would still observe the New Year, but emphasized that the celebration would be modest in scale.

According to forecasts from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Jakarta and its surrounding areas are expected to experience rainfall of 50–150 millimeters during the second and third ten-day periods of December 2025. Peak rainfall is forecast for the first ten-day period of January 2026, with most areas of Jakarta likely to receive between 150 and 200 millimeters of rain.

South Bogor, an upstream area, is predicted to record the highest rainfall levels, ranging from 200 to 300 millimeters during the same period. This could increase the risk of upstream flooding that may impact downstream regions, including Jakarta.

Karno underscored the need to strengthen early warning systems to anticipate potential disasters, such as flooding caused by heavy rainfall, upstream flooding, and tidal flooding in Jakarta’s northern coastal areas.

Regarding weather modification efforts, he said that, in line with the governor’s directive, such operations should not be limited to Jakarta but must be coordinated with surrounding buffer regions.

To ensure flood preparedness, the Jakarta Provincial Water Resources Agency has placed 612 permanent pumps and 590 mobile pumps on standby in flood-prone areas across the capital.

Source: Antara