Weather tracker: Floods and landslides in Indonesia leave at least 20 dead

Bridges collapse and houses and cars buried in thick mud after intense rainfall triggers landslides in central Java

Heavy rain across Indonesia has caused major flooding. On Java, the country’s main island, flooding caused a landslidethat has killed more than 20 people, with several more missing. The landslide was triggered by particularly intense rainfall in the mountainous area close to Pekalongan in the central part of the island, leading to bridges collapsing and houses and cars being buried in the thick mud. Indonesia is vulnerable to flooding and landslides during its rainy season from November to April. However, the climate crisis appears to be increasing the intensity of the rainstorms, worsening the flooding, as well as allowing them to occur outside the usual season. Last May, 67 people died after torrential rain caused flash floods in West Sumatra.

In stark contrast, a winter drought has been affecting parts of Pakistan. Eastern areas of Punjab province, where crop farming is the main activity and source of income, have received rainfall more than 40% below the average in the last four months. Agriculture accounts for nearly 25% of the country’s GDP and employs nearly two in five workers. Many farmers are being forced to switch careers as the climate crisis brings increasingly unreliable rainfall during the winter months.