Authorities of several regions in Indonesia have been reminded to intensify the monitoring for possible forest fires and droughts, as this year's dry season is forecast to be drier compared to the previous year.

Drought in East Nusa Tenggara (Source: en.antaranews.com)

In fact, all regions in Java, notably West Java, Central Java and East Java, have begun to experience the dry season, which is expected to hit its peak in July and August, with the exception of Bogor, West Java, which experience more rains than others.

According to the country’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the precipitation during the last dry season was less than 20 millimeters a month, and it could go lower this year.

People living in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, and Sumatra were also asked to be vigilant due to the impact of droughts.

The dry season is expected to reach its peak from August to September in these regions. Some areas in Central Java have begun to experience the dry season.

Ariono Poerwanto, acting head of the Banyumas disaster mitigation office, said his office is monitoring villages to anticipate a water crisis there.

In Gunung Kidul district, Yogyakarta special autonomous region, 10 sub-districts are currently being hit by severe droughts.

Located on the equator line, and between Asia and Australia, Indonesia has only two seasons -- rain and dry. The dry season is usually between March to September, while the rainy season lasts from September to March.

(Source: VNA)