TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Even though it is a tropical country, Indonesia has several cities with colder temperatures. Based on the monitoring station of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), here is the list of 5 coldest cities located in Indonesia:
1. Kota Mulia
Kota Mulia, located in Puncak Jaya Regency, Papua Province, has been named the coldest area in Indonesia. Surrounded by Jaya Wijaya and Puncak Jaya mountains, the city is located at an altitude of 2,448 meters above sea level (masl). BMKG noted the temperature in Kota Mulia can reach 9 degrees Celsius at night and can also reach freezing points.
2. Waghete
Still in Papua Province, the second coldest area in Indonesia is a small town called Waghete. During the day, the temperature in this city reaches 15 degrees Celsius, while at night, the temperature dropped to 10 degrees Celsius.
3. Mamasa
Located at an altitude of 1,900 meters above sea level, Mamasa Regency in West Sulawesi Province is considered the coldest region in Indonesia. BMKG has recorded the temperature during nighttime at 10 degrees Celsius. Apart from its cold weather, Mamasa is furnished with natural beauty.
4. Ruteng
The city of Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara Province, is located at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level. BMKG reported that the average air temperature in Ruteng is between 13 and 9.2 degrees Celsius. The area provides beautiful natural scenery, the city has also been referred to as the Prague of Indonesia.
5. Berastagi
Berastagi is about 66 kilometers away from the city of Medan. Besides being flanked by two active volcanoes, Berastagi is located at an altitude of more than 1300 meters above sea level. Thus, making it one of the oldest cities in North Sumatra, even Indonesia. The cold temperature ranges from 16-17 degrees Celsius.
The Reasons Behind the Cold Temperatures
Geographically, Indonesia is located on the equator, but there are several locations with cold temperatures like northern Europe.
The equator makes Indonesia's climate tropical with only two seasons, rainy and dry. Even though it doesn't have winter like in Europe, Indonesia also has several areas where the temperature is cold.
According to the BMKG, several factors cause certain areas in Indonesia to have colder temperatures, one of which is due to the height of the land, the direction of wind movement, and the area covered by vegetation.
For example, the phenomenon that occurred in Yogyakarta during the dry season at the end of July 2022. The Javanese call it bediding, a phenomenon that became a hot topic on social media when the temperature reached the lowest, especially at night until early morning which reached 18 degrees Celsius, as stated by observers.
According to the Head of the Yogyakarta BMKG's Climatology Station, Warjono, the cause of the cold air temperature apart from the movement of the wind is due to clouds covering less and the heat reflected from the earth received from sunlight is not retained by the clouds. "Thus, the heat from the earth is immediately extinguished and lost into space," he said.
In addition, the thinning of water content in the soil also contributed to the cold air temperature. The low air moisture content is evidenced by the low air humidity.
Danar Trivasya Fikri | Translator: Intern / Imaji Lasahido
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