The key facts

  • High tides are forecast from November 8 to 11 in six districts of Bali
  • The cause is the new moon on November 9; tide peaks in different districts do not coincide
  • Flooding of low-lying areas and port disruptions are possible; there is no general swimming ban

Weather service warning

The Indonesian island of Bali has issued a warning about unusually high tides that could lead to coastal flooding. According to The Bali Times, citing the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), elevated sea levels will persist from November 8 to 11. Gazeta.Ru also reports on the same threat to six districts of the island, including popular tourist destinations.

Which districts are affected and why

The warning covers the southern coast of the Jembrana, Tabanan and Klungkung districts, as well as the coastal areas of Badung, Denpasar and Gianyar. The cause of the anomaly is the new moon, which falls on November 9: during this period, the relative positions of the Moon, Sun and Earth contribute to higher tides.

What is possible and what authorities recommend

Cahyo Nugroho, head of the BMKG regional office in Denpasar, explained that maximum water levels will not occur everywhere at the same time: 'Potential maximum tides will differ by day and hour in each district.' Meteorologists allow for temporary flooding of low-lying coastal areas, disruptions at ports, including the loading and unloading of vessels, as well as consequences for residential areas near the sea, salt farms and fish farming operations. Residents and tourists are advised to monitor the condition of the coast and take the weather service's warnings into account. At the same time, as noted by Life.ru,flooding of all the island's beaches is not forecast, and there is as yet no general ban on swimming or closure of coastal areas.

Context: last year's flood

For the island, this is a reminder of a recent disaster: in September of last year, Bali experienced the worst flood in a decade. Water levels rose to 2.5 meters, several landslides occurred, destroying 15 shops and houses and damaging roads and bridges. More than 800 people were forced to leave their homes, and the authorities declared a state of emergency. The current warning is of a different nature: it concerns forecast tides and temporary flooding, not an emergency situation.