Denpasar, Bali (The Jakarta Post/ANN) - A powerful gale and sporadic torrential rain have hammered Bali over the last two days, causing fatal accidents and prompting local authorities to close beaches, including the famed Kuta beach.
The accidents have claimed three lives.
The Provincial Disaster Mitigation Body reported that the storm had uprooted dozens of trees across the island. The falling trees inflicted damage on scores of buildings and at least two temples in Gianyar regency. Three people were killed by falling trees.
On Wednesday, a resident of Baturiti, Tabanan, Ni Made Kasning was killed by a falling tree. Later in the afternoon, a falling tree killed another Baturiti resident identified as Nyoman Ginarta. Falling trees injured 11 other people across the regency.
On Thursday afternoon, a falling tree claimed another human life in Sanur, Denpasar. The victim was identified as Syaifudin.
Some 20 kilometers to the west of Sanur, a joint team of lifeguards, marine police and Kuta beach task force members raised red flags along the shoreline, signaling that the beach was closed.
"The waves started getting higher from 10.00 a.m. local time, and by 12.00 p.m., the water covered the beach and approached the jogging track. I immediately alerted all the relevant agencies and we decided to close the beach," Kuta beach task force chief Anak Agung Ngurah Tresna said.
The task force is a community-based body formed by the Kuta customary village and is tasked with maintaining security at the beach.
"All members of the Kuta lifeguards, the on-duty marine police officers and the task force have been placed on alert to cope with possible emergencies," he said, adding that so far tourists had obeyed the safety warning.
Tresna disclosed that the waves on Thursday were the tallest he had seen in recent months.
The powerful gale had also forced fishermen along the island's northern coastal line to pull up their boats to high ground and not put out to sea.
Meanwhile, the Gilimanuk ferry harbor master temporarily closed the harbor as the weather worsened. A ferry flying the Padangbai (Bali)-Lembar (Lombok) route was forced to put into harbor at Gili Awah island after a series of powerful waves rocked the ship.
Meteorology and Geophysic Agency official I Nyoman Gede Wiryajaya said that waves as high as 5 meters had formed offshore due to the formation of tropical cyclone Iggy in the Indian ocean south of Java. The cyclone formed on Thursday at around 03.00 a.m. local time.
"The cyclone will last for three or four days and it is heading to Australia at a minimum speed of 35 knots," he added.
Extreme weather also affected other parts of the country.
Transportation authorities in Kupang halted services to Aimere-Flores, Sabu, Sumba, Lembata and Ende on Tuesday.
Hundreds of passengers at Bolok Seaport had to cancel their trips and return home.
"We have canceled trips to several areas pending improvements in the weather," Arnoldus Yansen, the operational manager of PT ASDP in Kupang, said on Tuesday.
PT ASDP is a state-owned company that provides lake, river and sea transportation services.
He said that the canceled routes were those that passed through the Sawu Sea.
According to reports by the the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) agency, a low pressure zone in the Indian Ocean southwest of NTT has triggered strong winds and high waves over the past two days.
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