REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PADANG -- The Padang meteorology, climatology and geophysics office monitored 10 hotspots in West Sumatra Proivnce on Monday.

Five hotspots were found in Dharmasraya District and three in Limapuluh Kota, and two in Sijunjung, Head of the office's observation and information section Budi Iman Samiaji said.

The precipitation rate is quite low and the humidity rate reaches 80 percent in the province which is experiencing drought.

"Dry bushes are prone to fires if we are not careful. Moreover, local community still practice slash and burn method," he said.

He predicted that the low precipitation will last until mid August.

In the meantime, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has reported that the Terra and Aqua satellites on Sunday detected a total of 308 hotspots across Sumatra Island.

Of the total, Riau had 122 hotspots, South Sumatra 59, Jambi 58, Bengkulu 10, West Sumatra 19, North Sumatra 25, Bangka Belitung nine, Riau Island one and Lampung five.

Spokesman of BNPB Sutopo Nugroho has reminded local authorities to step up efforts to prevent forest, peatland and plantation fires in their respective regions.

Prevention is more effected than extinguishing the fires, he added.

The number of hotspots in Sumatra could increase as the development of natural phenomena El Nino is getting stronger, according to him.

The National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has predicted that El Nino will effect Indonesia until November 2015, causing the delay of rainy season which usually starts in October or September.

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