Record-Breaking Precipitation in Indonesia's Capital Jakarta in January
2020 Linked to the Northerly Surge, Equatorial Waves, and MJO
Abstract
A rare record-breaking extreme rainfall event, the highest amount
recorded since 1866, hit Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, in early January
2020. The torrential rainfall was mainly caused by an active
cross-equatorial northerly surge (CENS) that occurred concurrently with
equatorial waves and Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO). A strong and
persistent low-level northerly wind and moisture transport induced by
CENS created favorable atmospheric conditions for the formation of deep
convection and heavy rainfall over Jakarta. The concurrent occurrences
of convectively active phases of equatorial waves (mainly Kelvin,
TD-type, and eastward propagating inertia-gravity waves) and MJO during
the event further supported the development of heavy rainfall by
increasing low-level moisture flux convergence, whereas equatorial
Rossby waves contributed indirectly to the increased moisture transport
by amplifying cross-equatorial meridional flows toward Jakarta.
Together, these large-scale dynamical forcing factors provided a
conducive convective environment for the development of mesoscale
convective systems and, hence, extreme rainfall over the region.