Bali’s Tourist Hotspots Brace For Extreme Weather: What Travelers Need To Know

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Tourists in Bali better buckle up as there is a bad weather front on the way. Tourists and residents in Bali have been issued with extreme weather warnings for the next three days as issued by the Center of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BBMKG) in Denpasar. 

The Head of BBMKG Region III Denpasar, Cahyo Nugroho, said that the current weather conditions are generally cloudy, and there is the potential for moderate light rain in most areas of Bali.

Nugroho said, “The air temperature ranges between 22-31 degrees Celsius with air humidity ranging from 65 to 95 percent.”

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While the rain and clouds are not of immediate concern, heavy winds could cause havoc across Bali’s top tourism resorts.

This, in turn, has a huge impact on conditions at sea, and tourists are encouraged to check the forecast before making plans to travel by fast boat or ferry.

Weather predictions for the next three days, from 4th – 6th July, show that wind movements generally blow from east to southeast with speeds ranging from 8 to 40 kilometers per hour with cloudy weather and the potential for light to moderate rain.

Nughoro said “The height of sea waves in the waters north of Bali ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 meters. In the waters south of Bali it ranges from 1 to 3 meters, in the Bali Strait it ranges from 0.5 to 2.5 meters and in the Lombok Strait 0.5 up to 2.5 meters.”

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In a separate statement, the BBMKG Region III Denpasar forecaster, Kadek Setiya Wati, explained, “Wind speed based on data on July 2, 2024, is a maximum of 19 knots at the Ngurah Rai Meteorological Station, while the predicted wave height yesterday reached 2.5 meters in the waters south of Bali. Meanwhile, in northern waters, it reached 1.25 meters.”

Wati explained that the rain that occurred in Bali in the last 2 to 3 days was the impact of active disturbances in the atmosphere known as the Madden Julian-Oscillation (MJO), Kelvin waves, and Equatorial Rossby.

The MJO phenomenon is an intra-seasonal meteorological activity that occurs in tropical regions. It can be identified by the form of convection activity that moves eastward from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and usually appears every 30 to 40 days.

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Wati continued, “The influence of these disturbances on weather conditions (rain) in Bali is predicted to last for the next 2-3 days but with the intensity of the rain decreasing. BBMKG Region III always updates weather forecast information and also early warnings for both weather and waves.”

“Therefore, please access our website or via other social networks such as Instagram, WA, and Telegram and can contact our office number directly.”

High sea waves and high winds mean that tourists should be extra mindful on the roads and if taking part in any ocean-based tourism activities such as snorkelling, dive tours and surfing.

Swimming in the sea in Bali is always advised to be carried out with the utmost caution, and only in areas where it is safe to do so. 

High sea waves have claimed the lives of dozens of tourists over the years who have been swimming in the shallow waters along Bali’s coast.

Areas that are particularly dangerous for undercurrents and rip tides include Seminyak and parts of the Uluwatu coastline, though the most dangerous patches of coastline in the province can be found in Nusa Penida. 

So much so that top officials in Nusa Penida have just committed to deploying safety officers at the island’s most dangerous beaches, tourists are reminded that irrespective of the weather conditions or the appearance of the waves, it is never safe to swim or enter the water at Kelingking Beach, Diamond Beach and Angels Billabong in Nusa Penida.