Whirlwind damages dozens of houses, injures one in North Sumatra
The torrential rain and whirlwind that struck Medan underscore the increasingly uneven weather patterns across Indonesia, with some parts of the archipelago experiencing intense rainfall even as the dry season expands and intensifies elsewhere.
A whirlwind damaged numerous homes and injured one person in Medan, North Sumatra, on Tuesday night, highlighting the region's fluctuating weather patterns. The torrential rain and swirling winds struck eight of the city's 21 districts, causing at least 115 homes to suffer damage and leaving one individual injured, according to Irwansyah, the head of operational data at the Medan Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).
Irwansyah mentioned that the actual number of damaged homes might rise, as the whirlwind affected a vast area and not all reports had been received as of Wednesday. The extreme weather also damaged schools and electricity transmission towers in several impacted zones. Masrul Sihombing, a resident of Medan Johor, one of the areas most severely affected, sought refuge in an evacuation tent after his home was severely damaged by the intense weather.
Heavy rain began at around 7 p.m., followed by powerful, rotating winds that lasted approximately half an hour, uprooting trees, sending roof sheets flying, and exposing parts of homes due to the torn metal roofing.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
