Inp.polri.go.id - Bandung. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) clarified that the strong wind phenomenon observed in Bandung Regency and Sumedang Regency on Wednesday was not classified as a tornado but rather as a whirlwind locally known as puting beliung. Teguh Rahayu, the Head of BMKG's Geophysical Station Class 1 in Bandung, explained that whirlwinds exhibit rotational strength with speeds of less than 70 kilometers per hour, antaranews.com reported. "Tornado phenomena involve wind speeds exceeding 70 kilometers per hour. During yesterday's incident, wind speeds recorded at the Jatinangor automatic weather station  were 36.8 kilometers per hour," he said on Thursday (22/2/2024). He explained that whirlwinds originate from cumulonimbus cloud systems, known for their potential to create extreme weather conditions. Teguh highlighted that whirlwind occurrences are typically brief, lasting generally less than 10 minutes. However, not all cumulonimbus clouds lead to whirlwind phenomena. "The development of cumulonimbus clouds often triggers rainfall. Whirlwinds are among the consequences of extreme weather," he added. Moreover, Teguh emphasized that tornadoes possess more destructive forces, with wind speeds reaching hundreds of kilometers per hour and dimensions spanning tens of kilometers. "In the case of a tornado, its impact extends beyond 10 kilometers, whereas yesterday's incident, I believe, only affected an area of 3 to 5 kilometers," Teguh said. The agency warned against using terminology that could incite public panic, urging adherence to terms widely understood by the Indonesians.  BRIN researcher Erma Yulihastin earlier suggested the Bandung strong wind the first tornado in Indonesia. (mg/inp/pr/nm)