The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Saturday, August 03 2013
Uncertain weather conditions in the waters off Bali may overshadow travelers heading home for next week’s Idul Fitri holiday.
I Nyoman Gede Wiryajaya, head of data and information at the Bali Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), warned travelers that waves, especially in southern and northern Bali, could reach between 3.5 and 4 meters high.
The majority of Idul Fitri travelers may use land transportation such as buses or private vehicles, but some may take the ferry to cross the Bali Strait and Lombok Strait, which are notorious for high waves and strong winds in July-August, the BMKG forecast.
During the holidays, millions of people will travel to their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri, one of the most important periods for Muslims in Indonesia and elsewhere in the world.
In Bali, hundreds of thousands of Muslims from Java, Lombok and other islands will head home for the holiday, creating traffic jams and congestion at the island’s ports in Gilimanuk, west Bali and Padangbai in Karangasem, east Bali.
“The BMKG expects port managements to increase their security measures regarding the operation of ferry fleets in the next few days because of extreme weather,” said Wiryajaya.
He added that in addition to high waves, strong winds would also be present, with speeds of around eight to 40 kilometers per hour, or at a maximum of 22.22 knots per hour.
“The strong winds occur because of big temperature differences between southern and northern parts of Indonesia,” he explained.
In northern parts, almost all regions are being affected by a severe tropical cyclone in the South China Sea, causing low temperatures. In contrast, the southern part of Indonesia is experiencing very high temperatures.
This area is also affected by cold weather of between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius, which will continue until the end of September, according to the BMKG.
“The BMKG will deliver the latest weather report four times a day to port managements, airport managements, the police and related institutions to prevent any possible traffic problems,” he said.
Big waves, strong winds and heavy downpours across Indonesia will occur in August and September. Heavy downpours may cause floods and landslides in several parts of Indonesia, forcing holiday travelers to remain on high alert.
“Extreme weather is always present in these periods and will likely change next December,” he said.
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zo 4 aug 2013 - 6:05