LOCATION · Indonesia
Jakarta Weather Radar & Live Flood & Haze Map
Is the monsoon rain about to flood Jakarta — or is that haze drifting in from the fires?
Jakarta is one of the great megacities of the tropics, and its weather is shaped by two very different hazards that take turns through the year: water and smoke. In the wet season, monsoon downpours turn this low-lying, river-laced city into one of the most flood-prone capitals on Earth. In dry years, smoke from distant fires can drift across the region and smother it in haze for weeks. Layered beneath both is a slower crisis — a city that is literally sinking. Telling these apart, and knowing the season, is what the live map helps you do.
A city built to flood
Jakarta's flooding comes from a difficult combination. The city sits on the low, flat coast of the Java Sea, and a web of rivers runs down through it from the hills to the south. When the monsoon delivers intense rain, those rivers and the city's drainage can be overwhelmed in a matter of hours, sending water into streets and neighbourhoods across the metropolis.
Then there's the slower problem. Large parts of Jakarta are sinking, as groundwater is pumped out from beneath the city faster than it can be replenished. Some districts now sit below sea level, which means parts of the city can experience tidal flooding from the sea even without a drop of rain. The combination of subsidence and coastal flooding has become so serious that Indonesia is in the process of relocating its capital — a striking measure of how central water is to Jakarta's story.
The monsoon's rhythm
The flood risk is strongly seasonal. The wet monsoon runs roughly from November through March, when humid winds drive heavy, frequent downpours over Java. This is the stretch when the worst flooding occurs, often from a single intense burst of rain. The mid-year months are drier, though as an equatorial city Jakarta stays warm and humid year-round, and powerful thunderstorms can develop in almost any season.
When the haze rolls in
Jakarta's other signature hazard arrives through the air. In drier years, fires — frequently on drained peatlands and in forests across parts of Indonesia — release vast amounts of smoke that can drift over the region, blanketing it in haze that lingers for weeks and pushes air quality into unhealthy ranges over wide areas.
This haze has a strong climate link. It tends to be worst in El Niño years, when drought dries out the land and makes it far more flammable. So the smoke that chokes the region isn't random; it's tied to the same Pacific cycle that shifts rainfall across the tropics, connecting Jakarta's air quality to a pattern playing out an ocean away.
Reading it on the live map
Jakarta is a tale of two seasons, and the key layer flips between them:
- In the wet season, watch the rain. Turn on Radar to follow monsoon storms and see where the heaviest rain — and the highest flood risk — is concentrated.
- In a smoky spell, watch the air. Add the Smoke & Dust (aerosol) and Air Quality layers to track haze drifting in when fires are active elsewhere in Indonesia.
- Connect it to the cycle. The smoke-travel and El Niño guides explain why dry, El Niño years bring the worst haze, and how far that smoke can spread.
Radar tells you where the water is falling; the air-quality and aerosol layers tell you when to worry about the smoke instead. In a city that swings between flood and haze, reading the right layer for the season is the difference between guessing and knowing what the sky is about to do.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Jakarta flood so often?
It's a combination of geography, rainfall and a sinking city. Jakarta is low-lying and crossed by many rivers draining the hills to its south, sitting right on the coast of the Java Sea. During the monsoon, intense rain can overwhelm the rivers and drainage in hours. On top of that, parts of the city are literally sinking as groundwater is pumped out, leaving some districts below sea level and prone to tidal flooding even without rain — which is a major reason Indonesia is moving its capital.
When is Jakarta's rainy season?
The wet monsoon generally runs from around November through March, when humid winds drive heavy, frequent downpours over Java. This is the peak flood season. The drier months run mid-year, though Jakarta is equatorial and warm and humid year-round, so heavy thunderstorms are possible at almost any time.
What causes the haze that sometimes covers the region?
Seasonal fires — often on drained peatlands and in forests elsewhere in Indonesia — can send thick smoke drifting across the region, especially during dry years. The haze degrades air quality across wide areas and can persist for weeks. It tends to be worst in El Niño years, when drought makes the land more flammable, linking the haze directly to the larger Pacific climate cycle.
How do I read Jakarta's weather on the map?
Turn on Radar to watch monsoon storms build and see where the heaviest rain — and flood risk — is falling. Add the Smoke & Dust (aerosol) and Air Quality layers to track haze when fires are active. In the wet season the radar is the layer to watch; in a dry, smoky stretch, the air-quality and aerosol layers tell the story.
SEE IT LIVE
Everything in this guide is on one real-time map.