Study by a BRIN researcher, the phenomenon in Rancaekek has the character of a very strong tornado

MidLand, Jakarta – Results of studies conducted by researchers from the National Agency for Research and Innovation (BRIN), the phenomenon of strong wind vortices Richmond that of Wednesday 21 February 2024, widely spread on social media, was an extreme meteorological event that showed characteristics tornado very strong.

“It is characterized by a large affected area and a very strong intensity that causes damage to buildings, vehicle rollovers and so on,” said the senior researcher at the agency’s Center for Climate and Atmospheric Research national for research and innovation (BRIN). ) Didi Satiadi in a written statement, Saturday 24 February 2024.

It was previously reported that the strong winds which occurred around 3.30 pm – 4.00 pm according to the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of West Java province impacted five sub-districts, namely Jatinangor and Cimanggung , Sumedang Regency and Cileunyi, Rancaekek. and Cicalengka subdistricts in Bandung Regency.

At least 13 factories and 10 houses in Sumedang regency were damaged. Meanwhile in Bandung Regency, 18 factories and shops and 151 residential units were severely damaged. 223 housing units were lightly damaged and 119 housing units were moderately damaged.

According to Didi, in English, the term tornado is known as microscale tornado or small-scale tornado, because its size is smaller than tornadoes that usually occur in mid-latitude areas.

“The tornado phenomenon describes a column of air that rotates very rapidly, starting from the storm clouds until it reaches the ground surface, and usually has the shape of a funnel,” he explained.

Initial analysis results show that the cause of the tornado in Rancaekek was probably the convergence of wind and water vapor on the ground around the area in the afternoon. This condition causes the growth of cumulonimbus clouds which is very rapid and widespread.

The process of cloud formation releases latent heat which then increases the updraft or upward airflow. Conversely, a stronger updraft will cause more clouds to grow. This positive feedback loop causes the updraft to become stronger and able to rotate due to windshear, or differences in wind direction or speed. “The increasingly powerful rotating column of air can reach the ground surface and produce a tornado,” Didi said.

Explain the difference between a tornado and a waterspout. Tornadoes usually occur in thunderclouds that form along fronts or boundaries between two different air masses or within supercell thunderclouds. Meanwhile, tornadoes usually occur due to local convection processes within thunderclouds and are usually associated with downbursts or microbursts, i.e. strong downward air flows.

In terms of scale, tornadoes are generally larger and more powerful, with stronger winds and larger diameters. Meanwhile, waterspouts are generally smaller and have lower wind speeds.

Additionally, tornadoes can last up to several hours. Meanwhile, tornadoes usually last less, up to several minutes. Tornadoes usually form in mid-latitude areas with high temperature gradients or differences. Tornadoes usually form in tropical regions, where convection is very active due to warm, humid atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, the impact of a tornado is usually more powerful than a twister. “Tornadoes are also quite dangerous because they can cause local damage, especially in densely populated areas,” Didi said.

Meanwhile, according to BRIN Climate and Atmospheric Research Center research professor Eddy Hermawan, Rancaekek is an area located almost in the center of West Java Island. This area was originally a green area characterized by many trees. This means that the environment is still relatively clean. However, now this area has changed its function from green to industrial zone. “Areas like this are usually prone to being hit by wind vortices,” he said.

Announcement

According to Eddy, the industry produces many gas emissions that cannot freely return to the atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect. With sunlight lasting more than 12 hours, this area is very warm during the day and relatively cool at night. The temperature difference between night and day is very large. Without realizing it, this area suddenly turned into a low pressure area. Such conditions, he said, began on February 19, 2024. “At that time, a mass of water vapor coming from various directions entered Rancaekek,” he said.

According to him, this process took a long time, about 24-48 hours. Starting with the formation of small cumulus clouds, the sea then slowly widens to form a collection of cumulonimbus clouds (Cb) ready to be rotated to form a large vortex or waterspout.

Although the mechanism is a bit complex to explain in detail, there is a strong suspicion that this vortex occurred due to the meeting of two masses of water vapor, coming from the west and the east, and then strengthened by the southern direction of the Indonesian Ocean. “All three are gathered in an area that has experienced severe thermal degradation,” Eddy said.

Almost all extreme events, such as the tornado in Rancaekek, are currently relatively difficult to predict. Apart from limited high-resolution data, the mechanism of its formation is not yet well understood. “It’s natural that sometimes each of us has different points of view,” he said.

According to him, the Rancaekek accident was a rare accident that impacted an area. He appealed to the public not to panic excessively and to continue to follow the latest information provided by BMKG, BPBD or other institutions and monitor it regularly. Beyond that, don’t associate the incident with things that don’t make sense and continue to think clearly and logically.

According to Eddy, it is time for the public to be informed about extreme events that are likely to increase in the future because these events are closely linked to changes in air temperature and changes in air pressure that increase suddenly and dramatically. Therefore, he added, it is time to install a pressure change monitoring device, a barometer or something else. He also recommended increasing tree planting to reduce the effects of global warming.

The head of the Center for Climate and Atmospheric Research, Albertus Sulaiman, said that tornadoes are an interesting phenomenon and are still an open book due to their unique nature, they occur at the equator, they are not very large spatially and they occur at a fairly large distance. fast pace, making them difficult to observe.

“Currently, tornadoes are occurring with increased intensity and strength and are starting to threaten the community,” he said. According to him, the main key is to understand the formation mechanism and dynamics of tornadoes.

For BMKG it is important to perform observations or observations with high durability. According to him, the institution needs to install more instruments such as automatic weather stations (AWS) and radars with higher spatial and temporal resolution in areas where tornadoes occur frequently. “Currently, tornado observations only appear from photos and videos sent in by witnesses, but even that is significant,” he said.

The BRIN Artificial Intelligence Research Center has developed an algorithm for pattern recognition from photos and videos. The combination of pattern recognition results and deterministic or fluid dynamic models can be used to better understand the mechanisms of tornado formation and dynamics. Collaboration across scientific disciplines and community participation is expected to accelerate understanding of tornadoes so they can be detected early, as well as implement mitigation and adaptation.

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