TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - The threats of high waves loom over the waters of Yogyakarta as June enters its second week. The danger of high waves and the characteristics of the southern coast of Yogyakarta have often been the cause of unforeseeable marine accidents for tourists on vacation.
The most recent incident involved two tourists from Central Java who nearly lost their lives after a rip current pulled them under at Parangtritis Beach on Sunday. They were fortunately rescued by lifeguards stationed at the location.
Early Warning for High Waves
The Yogyakarta Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued an early warning for high waves for June 10 to 12.
"There is a big chance for high waves of 2.5-4 meters during the period of June 10 to 12, and we urge the people to be cautious," said Warjono, the Head of the BMKG Yogyakarta Meteorological Station, on Monday, June 9, 2025.
What Prompts the High Waves?
The high waves, marked with orange, or 'High' category, are expected to hit the waters south of the Indian Ocean, which stretch across three regencies in Yogyakarta, namely Bantul, Gunungkidul, and Kulon Progo.
The waves are triggered by cyclonic patterns and air moisture at several points in the Indonesian waters that affect wind speed. There are cyclonic patterns in the waters west of Sumatra and a shearline deceleration pattern in the Java region.
Meanwhile, the relative air moisture at the 850 to 700mb level is observed to be wet, ranging from 60 to 90 percent, but at the 500mb level, it is observed to be quite dry, around 30 percent, triggering the growth of rain clouds in the region.
Advisory for Fishers and Tourists
According to Warjono, the high waves pose great risks to maritime safety, including for fishers, as fishing boats are cautioned with over 15 knots of wind speeds and 1.25-meter waves.
As for barge-type vessels, high waves should be taken seriously when wind speeds reach 16 knots and wave heights have reached 1.5 meters.
The Coordinator of the Coastal Community Protection Unit (Satlinmas) at Parangtritis Beach, Arif Nugraha, urged tourists to remain vigilant even after deeming the beach and waves to be safe to wade in.
"Do not venture too far into the water because you could enter a rip current zone and struggle to return to the shore due to very strong currents," he said.
Arif added that in high-risk areas such as Parangtritis Beach, there are quite a few strong rip current points and dangerous troughs marked with warning flags.
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