Torrential downpours have caused widespread flooding across parts of Indonesia, including in the capital, Jakarta, where the floodwaters are chest-deep in places.

The worst of the rains have fallen within the last two days.

The Jakarta Observatory reported 144mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 06:00GMT on Tuesday. The average for the entire month of February is 124mm.

This has resulted in thousands of homes being flooded and murky brown waters up to 1.5 metres deep in East Jakarta. Schools have been closed and many workers have been forced to stay at home.

Authorities say they have received more than 400 reports of flooding across Jakarta.

There has been the inevitable travel chaos with many cars abandoned as the waters continue to rise, but so far there have been no reports of any injuries.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia's disaster management agency, said Jakarta's rivers and storm drains were not able to cope with the monumental amount of rain that was unleashed by the thunderstorms.

Jakarta is a coastal city with as many as 13 rivers, which often burst their banks during the rainy season causing massive flooding in the densely populated communities.

The capital is hit by flooding to some degree every year during tropical Indonesia's months-long rainy season, with the city's numerous riverside communities worst affected.

The city suffered one of its worst seasonal inundations in recent history in January 2013. The flooding submerged a major downtown roundabout, forcing 30,000 people from their homes and leaving 20 dead.

The city has fared better this time round. This may be thanks to work carried out by the municipal government which dredged a number of rivers and relocated illegal squatters into subsidised apartments.</s>Torrential rains in the Indonesian capital have overwhelmed drains and flooded roads and thousands of homes.The disaster mitigation agency says more than 50 areas are flooded in Jakarta with waters up to 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) high in East Jakarta.It said the city's drains couldn't accommodate the runoff and rivers also overflowed.Floods in 2013 forced killed more than two dozen people in Jakarta and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.The city, which has about 30 million people in its greater metropolitan area, says it has reduced the number of flood prone areas since then by dredging rivers and other measures.Source: AP</s>JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Torrential rains in the Indonesian capital have overwhelmed drains and flooded roads and thousands of homes.

The disaster mitigation agency said Tuesday that more than 50 areas are flooded in Jakarta, with waters up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) high in East Jakarta.

It said the city's drains couldn't accommodate the runoff and rivers also overflowed.

Floods in 2013 forced killed more than two dozen people in Jakarta and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

The city, which has about 30 million people in its greater metropolitan area, says it has reduced the number of flood prone areas since then by dredging rubbish-filled rivers and other measures.

Floods and deadly landslides are a fact of life for Indonesians during the wet season, with other major cities suffering repeated flooding.

Earlier this month, up to 40,000 people were caught in severe flooding following days of torrential rain in central Indonesia and 13 people were killed in landslides on the resort island of Bali.</s>An Indonesian man sits on a raft at a flooded neighborhood in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. Torrential rains in the Indonesian capital have overwhelmed drains and flooded roads and thousands of homes.

Start the conversation, or Read more at SFGate.</s>JAKARTA -- Widespread flooding hit the Indonesian capital Tuesday after hours of torrential rain, with thousands of homes inundated, cars stranded and at least one person killed.

Water up to 1.5 meters deep swamped parts of the Indonesian capital and nearby commuter towns after a thunderstorm overnight.

People were forced from their houses in some places, with authorities setting up evacuation centers. The disaster agency said it had received more than 400 reports of floods across Jakarta.

In Bekasi, a city within the Jakarta metropolitan area, one person drowned while about 280 others were forced to evacuate, the agency said.

Images of the flooding showed major roads inundated in parts of the city of 10 million, people wading through deluged streets and cars in water up to their headlights.

Drains were unable to cope with the torrents of water unleashed by the storm and rivers burst their banks, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Jakarta is hit by flooding to some degree every year during tropical Indonesia's monthslong rainy season, with the city's numerous riverside communities worst affected.

The city suffered one of its worst seasonal inundations in recent history in Jan. 2013. The flooding submerged a major downtown roundabout, forced 30,000 people from their homes and left 20 dead.</s>JAKARTA: Widespread flooding hit Jakarta on Tuesday (Feb 21) after hours of torrential rain, with thousands of homes inundated and at least one person killed.

Water up to 1.5 metres deep deluged parts of the Indonesian capital after a major thunderstorm overnight, with the disaster agency receiving more than 400 reports of flooding across the city.

In Bekasi, a city within the Jakarta metropolitan area, one person drowned while about 280 others were forced to evacuate, the agency said.

Images of the flooding showed major roads inundated in parts of the megacity of 10 million, people wading through deluged streets and cars in water up to their headlights.

The floods happened after Jakarta's drains were unable to cope with the torrents of water unleashed by the storm and rivers burst their banks, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Jakarta is hit by flooding to some degree every year during tropical Indonesia's months-long rainy season, with the city's numerous riverside communities worst affected.

The city suffered one of its worst seasonal inundations in recent history in January 2013. The flooding submerged a major downtown roundabout, forced 30,000 people from their homes and left 20 dead.</s>JAKARTA: Jakarta was hit by widespread flooding on Tuesday after hours of torrential rain, with thousands of homes inundated, cars stranded and people forced to wade through murky brown water.

Water up to 1.5 meters (five feet) deep deluged parts of the Indonesian capital after a major thunderstorm overnight, with the disaster agency receiving more than 400 reports of flooding across the city.

People were forced from their houses in some places, although it was not immediately clear how many had been affected. Officials said they were yet to receive any reports of injuries or deaths.

Images of the flooding showed major roads inundated in parts of the megacity of 10 million, people wading through deluged streets and cars in water up to their headlights.

The floods happened after Jakarta’s drains were unable to cope with the torrents of water unleashed by the storm and rivers burst their banks, said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Jakarta is hit by flooding to some degree every year during tropical Indonesia’s months-long rainy season, with the city’s numerous riverside communities worst affected.

The city suffered one of its worst seasonal inundations in recent history in January 2013. The flooding submerged a major downtown roundabout, forced 30,000 people from their homes and left 20 dead.</s>Indonesian Islamist groups on Monday called on the government to suspend the Christian governor of the capital and for the courts to convict him of blasphemy, demands they will make again at a rally outside parliament on Tuesday. Governor of Indonesia's capital Basuki Tjahaja Purnama shows his ballot during an election for Jakarta's governor in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 15, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com.</s>Governor of Indonesia's capital Basuki Tjahaja Purnama shows his ballot during an election for Jakarta's governor in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Beawiharta

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian Islamist groups on Monday called on the government to suspend the Christian governor of the capital and for the courts to convict him of blasphemy, demands they will make again at a rally outside parliament on Tuesday.

Islamist groups have held two big rallies since November against the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is on trial for insulting the Koran, and in the midst of an election in which he hopes to win a second term.

"Our demands to parliament are that they urge the government to suspend Purnama ... and urge the Supreme Court and judges to detain him and impose the maximum sentence," said Muhammad al Khaththath of the Islamic People's Forum.

The forum is one of the groups organizing the Tuesday rally.

Previous rallies drew hundreds of thousands of people and raised concern about the erosion of religious tolerance in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

Purnama, Jakarta's first ethnic Chinese and Christian leader, denies insulting the Koran.

He has been allowed to remain in office while the court case is going on but faces up to four years in prison if found guilty of blasphemy.

His supporters say the charge against him is politically motivated.

Last Wednesday, he stood against two Muslim candidates in a city governor election but none of them got enough votes to win outright.

A second round is due in mid-April with Purnama competing against a former education minister, Anies Baswedan, who has appealed to the Muslim vote in the city of more than 10 million.

Jakarta police have stepped up security ahead of Tuesday's demonstration which up to 10,000 people are expected to join, said police spokesman Argo Yuwono.

The Jakarta election is widely seen as a proxy battle for the next presidential election in 2019.

Purnama is a former deputy of President Joko Widodo, when Widido was Jakarta governor, and he is being backed by the president's party.

Baswedan is backed by a retired general, Prabowo Subianto, who Widodo defeated in the last presidential election, in 2014, and who is promising a political comeback.
Flooding occurs across parts of Indonesia, including the capital Jakarta, due to torrential downpours over the last few days. Thousands of homes have been flooded and schools were forced to close. However, there are no reports of injuries yet.