Smartcitizen, have you been aware of the increase of Jakarta’s air temperature lately? The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Council (BMKG) stated that during 1 to 7 May 2022, Jakarta’s temperature reached 33–36 degrees Celsius. Apparently, the same thing also happened in several other cities in Indonesia. What is going on that causes the increase of air temperature? How can we cope with this hot weather? Read the following article.

Is Jakarta Hit by Heatwaves?

Seeing the increase in temperature that has also occurred in a number of other cities, it can be concluded that there is a bigger issue behind the heat of Jakarta. Initially, this temperature rise was attributed to the ongoing heat wave in India. A heat wave is a hot weather phenomenon that occurs for five days or more in a row. Based on a report by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), during the month of April, New Delhi’s temperature was above 40 degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days. This temperature increase is not only a matter of hot weather, but this also affects community activities. Schools are starting to close so students don’t have to leave the house and become dehydrated. Not to mention, the supply of coal in thermal power plants that are running out has forced the government to turn off electricity in several states. As if this is not detrimental enough, the effects of the Heat Wave in India since late March have claimed twenty-five lives and caused thousands of citizens to seek medical treatment.

However, the good news is that BMKG has confirmed that the hot weather in Jakarta is not caused by a heat wave, but the effect of the transition season. Towards the dry season like this, usually the weather in the morning will be sunny, but it will be warmer during the day with the potential to rain and lightning. In addition to the effects of the transition season, another thing that can cause an increase in temperature in Jakarta is the position of the sun which is on the north of the equator. This indicates that Indonesia has entered the peak of the dry season. Reducing cloud growth and rain can also be another cause for warmer weather in Jakarta during the recent days.

Tips for Surviving The Hot Air Temperature in Jakarta

Extreme heat can interfere with activities and even endanger health. In order for you to stay healthy and run your errands comfortably, there are some tips that you can apply.

1. Drink more water

You don’t want to get dehydrated right? Therefore, you should consume lots of water. Try to drink water in small quantities but often so that the absorbed fluids can enter the body more optimally.

2. Use sunscreen

Not only water intake that must be considered during the hot weather, but also your skin health. Sun exposure can make your skin dull, prone to irritation, even the exposure to high-intensity UV rays from the sun can cause you to develop skin cancer. To prevent it, use sunscreen with UV protection whenever you do your activities in the morning or afternoon, both inside and outside the house.

3. Wear clothes that absorb sweat

Activities in the midst of hot weather may make you a little uncomfortable. To outsmart this, you can use loose clothing with sweat-absorbing materials, such as cotton. Don’t forget to choose bright colors, because dark colors will only absorb the sun’s heat even more.

4. Eat nutritious food

You also need to pay attention to your food consumption. During hot weather, it’s advised for you to eat nutritious and high water food. You don’t need to eat them in large portions. The more important thing is to eat frequently.

5. Bring an umbrella or hat when traveling

You still have to do outdoor activities during the hot weather? No worries. If the previous tips have been met, your body should be strong enough for outdoor activities. In addition, don’t forget to bring an umbrella or hat so you don’t get too hot.

Simple Steps to Minimize the Impact of Global Warming

Although what we are facing today in Jakarta is not the result of the Heat Wave, this phenomenon still spreads to the issue of global warming which can endanger our survival. Scientists have predicted that the Earth’s temperature will rise by as much as 1,5 degrees Celsius over the next five years. Thus, we need to immediately minimize the impact of global warming. It sounds like a big mission, but we can do it through simple steps like the following ones.

Calculating emissions from daily activities

What do emissions have to do with hot weather? Of course, they are related! Emissions or substances that are harmful to life and the environment can contribute to aggravating global warming. Well, one of the many sources of emissions is from our daily activities. The clothes we buy and use, the food we eat, the electronics we utilize, all of them produce emissions. Therefore, we need to learn how to produce low emissions. It can be started by calculating the amount of emissions produced in our daily activities. To make it easier for you to do this, you can use the JakEmisi feature on JAKI.

[Working Together in Reducing Jakarta’s Emissions Through JAKI]

Reduce the use of private vehicles

After knowing the amount of emissions produced from daily activities, one of which is using private transportation, you can continue the effort to minimize global warming. Such as by using public transportation or switching to environmentally friendly transportation, like bicycles. But, if it doesn’t seem possible, you can use your own motorized vehicle, as long as you make sure it passes the emission test.

Implement 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)

Like other goods, waste also emits emissions that can damage the environment. We need to get around this by implementing reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reduce is done by reducing the use of plastic and packaged products. You can implement reuse by reusing used items. Meanwhile, you can recycle waste that can be recycled so it can be useful again. By following this principle, we can reduce the amount of emissions generated from waste.

Be wise while shopping and using clothes

In fact, the textile industry impacts 10% of greenhouse gas emissions which affect global warming and environmental damage. How does this happen? Chemical dyes which waste is not managed properly, electricity and large amounts of water needed during the production process, play an important role in this regard. Over time, the fast fashion trend began to run rampant. Clothing models change quickly, production costs are cheap, and the quality is not good. This resulted in the fashion industry being not environmentally friendly.

Basically, we can’t directly reduce clothing production to reduce emissions. However, as consumers, we can choose a wiser way of buying and using clothes. For example, implementing a minimalist lifestyle and not buying clothes if they are not needed, converting the use of clothes that are no longer used, or only buying clothes made from environmentally friendly materials.

Perhaps, the tips above may seem far away from preventing global warming. But, just because we can’t see emissions, doesn’t mean that the efforts to minimize it are useless. No matter how small the action we take is, it still will have an impact on the environment in the future.

There you have all the information about the heat in Jakarta. This hot air temperature is predicted to continue until mid-May. Don’t forget to apply the tips above so that you can survive and do your activities comfortably. In parallel, you can also implement the simple steps to minimize the impact of global warming so that this weather won’t get worse or raise a new issue. You want to learn how to calculate emissions using JAKI? Download the app now via Google Play Store or Apple App Store.