Bad Weather Disrupts NTT Ferry Services
Kupang. Bad weather, including strong winds and rough seas, has forced the closure of sea links operated by state ferry operator ASDP for an amount of time that remains to be detirmined, a company executive said on Saturday.
Agus Suprianto, Operations Manager for the Kupang chapter of ASDP, said that the closures had been ongoing since Thursday and would last until the sea conditions calmed down.
Tisno Cahyono, harbormaster in Tenau, Kupang, said that the bad weather was foretasted to continue through Jan. 3, 2014 at the earliest.
“The current conditions are not safe for sailing across all regions of East Nusa Tenggara and therefore all ferry services to and from Bolok Kupang are being closed down,” he said, referring to the harbor in Kupang, the East Nusa Tenggara provincial capital.
Speaking by telephone from Bolok port, Agus said that wind velocities, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, had reached 10 to 15 knots, and waves had reached 4 meters.
He said that the Sea of Rote, the Sea of Savu and the Flores Sea were particularly dangerous.
“At present, the weather is not friendly and is actually quite extreme, causing especially high waves and strong winds accompanied by heavy rains,” he said. “Therefore, anticipating the worst, the ferry services have been closed down.”
He said that sailing became difficult once the size of waves passed two meters.
“It is much better for us to prevent any sea mishaps,” he added.
The ferries have been berthed in Pulau Semau, just off Kupang, he said.
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