Cyclone risk in Indonesia said increasing

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JAKARTA, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Indonesia has seen more frequent cyclones with global warming in the past few years and the phenomenon is predicted to increase next year, experts say.

Data shows the frequency of cyclones this year was 28 times that for the year 2002, the country's disaster mitigation agency said.

"Global warming has resulted in the formation of more cumulonimbus clouds that could incite cyclones," Sutopo Purwo Yuwono, spokesperson with the Indonesian BNPB agency, said.

Sutopo predicted more cyclones would hit in Indonesia in March to April next year while floods and landslides would hit many parts of the country from January to March, China's Xinhua news agency reported Monday.

Cyclones accounted for 36 percent of the 1,200 disasters -- including floods, landslides, droughts and forest fires --experienced by Indonesia in 2012, Sutopo said.

A total of 60.9 million people living in 315 cities and provincial regencies could face risks from floods and 124 million people in 270 cities and regencies would be vulnerable to landslides, he said.