Incessant heavy rain has led to flooding in Jakarta. Parts of the Indonesian capital are under two-and-a-half feet of water.

The State Palace was inundated, and the National Museum was flooded for the first time in its history.

jakarta floods
A boy guiding a horse and buggy is swamped by waves caused by a truck driving on a flooded street after continuous heavy seasonal rains flooded parts of Jakarta Darren Whiteside/Reuters
jakarta floods
An aerial view of a flooded roundabout in Jakarta Antara Foto/Zabur Karuru/Reuters
jakarta floods
Commuters ride their motorbikes through a flooded intersection in Jakarta Darren Whiteside/Reuters
jakarta floods
People travel in a horse-drawn carriage down a flooded street in Jakarta Darren Whiteside/Reuters
jakarta floods
Employees clean a flooded area at the National Museum in Jakarta Bay Ismoyo/AFP
jakarta floods
A man rides his bicycle along a flooded street in Jakarta Darren Whiteside/Reuters

The deepest water level was 80cm, recorded in Jalan Batu Ceper Raya in central Jakarta.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said the rising sea level off the capital's north coast had exacerbated the flooding. He said the city's 44 reservoirs could not cope with the increasing volume of water caused by rising sea levels and continuous rain.

jakarta floods
A couple sitting on their motorcycle are helped to cross a flooded road on a cart Bay Ismoyo/AFP
jakarta floods
A man using his mobile phone while sitting on his motorcycle crosses a flooded road on a cart in Jakarta Bay Ismoyo/AFP
jakarta floods
People ride on the back of a truck ferrying a vehicle down a flooded street after heavy rains inundated parts of Jakarta Darren Whiteside/Reuters
jakarta floods
People ride on a fire truck along a flooded street in Jakarta Darren Whiteside/Reuters
jakarta floods
A cyclist holds onto a truck as they travel along a flooded road in Jakarta Bay Ismoyo/AFP

The situation is expected to worsen. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency predicts torrential rain will continue for several days. Indonesia is experiencing its annual rainy season, which typically hits its peak in January.

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