The freezing temperature sweeping across Indonesia’s Dieng Highlands have reached their most extreme level of the year, bringing thick frost across the landscape and raising serious concerns for local farmers. On Thursday morning (July 9, 2026), temperatures in the highland region of Banjarnegara, Central Java, plunged to minus 6 degrees Celsius, marking the coldest conditions recorded so far in 2026.
The unusually low temperature transformed parts of Dieng into a winter-like scene. Frost covered parked vehicles, while grass, leaves, and other vegetation were blanketed in ice. The frozen landscape quickly attracted widespread attention on social media as residents and visitors shared images of the rare phenomenon.
According to the Dieng Weather application, the temperature reached minus 6 degrees Celsius that morning. Aryadi Darwanto, one of the developers behind the application, explained that the actual reading was slightly above minus 6 degrees but was rounded by the system.
“The temperature this morning was minus five point something, but the app rounded it to minus six. This is the coldest temperature we’ve recorded this year,” Aryadi said on Thursday.
He added that although frost has appeared several times during this year’s dry season, Thursday’s event was the most severe. While frost typically forms on grass and plants, this time it was also clearly visible covering vehicles parked throughout the Dieng area.
The freezing conditions were also confirmed by Wibi Satria N, Head of the Dieng Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) in Banjarnegara. He said temperatures reached minus 6 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning, causing plant leaves across the highlands to freeze.
According to Wibi, this is the lowest temperature recorded in Dieng since January 2026. Previously, the coldest temperature observed this year had reached minus 4 degrees Celsius.
The extreme weather has triggered growing concern among local farmers. If temperatures remain between minus 4 and minus 6 degrees Celsius over the next three days, many agricultural crops are expected to suffer severe damage or die completely.
The bitter cold has already become a trending topic online. One widely shared post came from the Instagram account @brentsastro, which uploaded footage showing the frozen conditions in Dieng.
“This morning in Dieng, Thursday, July 9, 2026, the temperature was reported to have reached minus 6 degrees Celsius, and this is what it looks like,” the caption read.
The video showed vegetable fields coated in a transparent layer of ice, illustrating the impact of the freezing temperatures on local agriculture.
Wibi confirmed that the footage accurately reflected the conditions experienced in Dieng that morning. He warned that the frost is capable of destroying agricultural commodities throughout the region.
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“Just like in the video that’s circulating. It’s certain that many agricultural crops will die,” Wibi explained.
He noted that potatoes remain the dominant crop grown across the Dieng Highlands, making them particularly vulnerable if freezing temperatures continue.
“Let’s see over the next few days. If conditions remain like they were this morning for the next three days, 90% of the crops could all die. Most of the crops in Dieng are potatoes,” he said.
The exceptionally low temperature also resulted in much thicker frost than usual. Wibi added that several areas across the Dieng Highlands experienced sub-zero temperatures, contributing to the widespread formation of ice throughout the region.
