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58 dead as flash floods hit Indonesia’s Papua
- A number of people have died in Indonesia’s eastern Papua province due to flash flood. The flash flood was triggered by torrential rain. In Indonesia, floods are common during the rainy season which extends from October to April.
- Flood is a rising and overflowing of a body of water especially onto normally dry land. Flash flood that occurs in a short time (usually less than 6 hours) of heavy or excessive rainfall, dam or levee failure.
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has put forward a Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) for effective forecasts of flash floods. The project seeks to strengthen the capabilities of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) to issue timely and accurate flash flood warnings. It aims to provide forecasts six hours in advance and alert disaster relief forces.
- The South Asia Flash Flood Guidance System was launched in 2016, covering Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In 2018, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) was selected as the regional centre to provide forecast products and data to the participating countries.
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). Its mandate is in the areas of meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences