Tourists in Bali are being urged to heed serious weather warnings that have been put in place across the central south of the island.
Badung Strait, Bali’s busiest boat crossing lane, is set to see high waves for the next few days, as well as many other regions in the north of the province.
Speaking to reporters on the evening of Sunday 2nd February, the Head of the Bali Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, Cahyo Nugroho, confirmed that forecasts predict waves of 4-6 meters from 3rd February onwards.
He shared, “The general public, fishermen, and marine tourism operators [must be] aware of the potential for increased wind speeds in the northern and southern waters of Bali.”
Wind speeds are forecast to hit 40 knots, approximately 74 kilometers an hour, heading in a west-northwesterly direction, triggering high waves and rough seas.
The worst affected areas include the Badung Strait, which is the body of water tourists must cross to reach the outlying islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan, as well as the Bali Sea and the Lombok Strait.
High waves and strong winds are forecasted further into 4th February, with updated forecasts expected later in the week. Boat operators, especially tourism boat operators, have been warned to be aware of the high wind speeds and rough conditions on the water.
Tourists should check in with their ferry or fast boat provider on the morning of their scheduled departure this week to ensure that their journey is still going ahead as planned.
Fast boat and ferry operators reserve the right to cancel or postpone crossings should conditions at sea be considered too dangerous. Most operators will reimburse the ticket or reschedule the crossing, though be sure to read the terms and conditions of each ticket.
High waves are also anticipated along the beaches of the central south of Bali. Tourists should be mindful of entering the water and observe any safety flag systems in place on the beaches.
Nugroho and his team at the Bali Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency have explained that the weather warnings have been announced due to equatorial Rossby waves, which are a kind of ocean wave triggered by atmospheric changes that move around the equator.
The phenomenon also triggers an increase in the growth of rain clouds over the areas it passes through.
From now through to mid-March, tourists should be prepared for frequent weather warnings. Bali is in the midst of its worst monsoon season in recent history with widespread flooding impacting communities across the province, including in top tourist hotspots like Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, and Canggu.
Monsoon-related natural disasters have been reported every week since the rainy season began, including landslides, falling trees, sinkholes, and flash flooding.
In December, two tourists were killed by a falling tree at the Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary during stormy weather. In mid-December, a beloved elephant from Bali Zoo died after she was carried away in a flash flooding event.
Speaking in December, in light of a plethora of tragedies, the Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, confirmed that the authorities would do all they can to support the public in receiving up-to-date information regarding weather warnings so that local communities and tourists could make informed decisions and mitigate potential risks.
He shared, “We try to socialize information, weather forecasts, and potential disaster risks so that people are more aware of the latest conditions.”
Tourists can use international weather apps to check the latest weather forecast, and for local weather warning updates, be sure to follow the Bali Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, who share a tourist weather forecast in English, in addition to regular updates on weather warnings.
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