Jakarta, IO – A powerful wind vortex occurred in Sumedang and Bandung regencies, West Java, Wednesday (21/2). As many as 534 buildings were damaged and 835 households affected.
Erma Yulihastin, a climatology expert at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said it was possible that the strong winds were a tornado, although many suspected it to be whirlwind, per CNNIndonesia, Thu (22/2).
Erma said she got this conclusion from the photos and videos that were recorded. Thus, she argued that it was the first tornado to ever happened in Indonesia.
“The chronology of photos and videos from the public and the media really helped researchers in documenting this extreme event which was recorded as the first tornado,” she said.
Based on data from the West Java Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), this natural phenomenon occurred in Jatinangor district in Sumedang and Bandung Kulon district in Bandung City, in the afternoon.
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The West Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) also revealed that the wind had an impact on residents on the border of Sumedang regency-Bandung regency, namely from Jatinangor, Rancaekek to Cicalengka.
Apart from that, Erma said its long duration was different from the characteristics of whirlwind in Indonesia. Nevertheless, Erma said that BRIN would conduct further research on this phenomenon. (un)