Bad Weather Plays Havoc during Dry Season: Bali

By Barrie | July 6th, 2007 | No Comments

As La Nina and El Nino make their way around the Pacific they leave droughts, flash floods, fires and storms in their wake. The tourist island of Bali is now feeling the effects of the current round of La Nina, with its usual blue skies and calm waters being whipped by serious storms.

During the dry season — normally between April and September — Bali’s weather is usually at its best, but this year strong winds and heavy rains are playing havoc with locals and tourists’ plans.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has predicted La Nina is likely to cause climatic anomalies during this year’s dry season.

“We are seeing indications of the La Nina phenomenon,” BMG official I Nyoman Suarsa said.

The term La Nina refers to the phenomenon of prevailing heavy rains, thick clouds and strong winds during the dry season. It is now popularly, and oddly, known as kemarau basah, or the “wet dry season”, among the locals.

According to the agency, the last La Nina occurred in 2000 and 2001.

“We experienced El Nino in 2002 and 2003,” he said. El Nino is the opposite of La Nina as it prolongs the dry season.

Heavy rains, strong winds and high tidal waves are among the interesting weather reported in local newspapers recently, with stories of floods hitting at least three regencies — Klungkung, Gianyar and Bangli. Local fishermen have been grounded by high waves.

Klungkung regency in East Bali was the worst hit by the flood as the torrential rains came during the Galungan holiday, inundating residents’ houses and temples. Harvests will have to be delayed as the water flooded farm lands as well.

“Because of the La Nina phenomenon, the chance of heavy rain still remains high during this year’s dry season, which usually ends in September,” Suarsa said.

“Therefore, in the next few months, thick clouds may still cover the sun. This is of course not a pleasant thing for sunbathers and sunset gazers,” he added.

The weather on Monday and Tuesday was sunny and warm, although gray and thick clouds appeared in some areas.

“It was cloudy this morning and I thought it was really going to rain. But the weather turned bright this afternoon,” a bellboy at the Ritz Carlton said.

The resort is located on the slope on the rocky Jimbaran Hill facing the Indian Ocean.

Besides heavy rain, the BMG had also recorded high tides caused by the flow of wind from the eastern part of Indonesia. Waves were estimated to reach five meters last week, forcing the agency to issue a warning letter to port officials, fishermen and holidaymakers in the southern part of Bali.

“High tidal waves will likely happen again on July 5 and 6, but the height is moderate, at about three meters,” the agency warned.

The chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Tour and Travel Association, Aloysius Purwa, said that the tourism industry was not affected by the latest weather events or the latest warning from the BMG.

“I don’t think the weather is as bad as reported in the media,” said.

“If the tide is high, then the surfers will love it,” he added.
Suarsa said that people were all aware that the weather had been odd recently.

“People are now questioning the impacts of global warming on Bali’s weather,” Suarsa said. Global warming, along with the widespread use of illegal cyanide bombs — is blamed for the bleaching of coral reefs in West Bali National Park, one of the most popular tourist sites on the island.

Ary Hermawan