Rainy Season is Back in Bali

As Indonesia enters another rainy season of Musim Hujan, I was intrigued by the fact that it was almost exactly a year ago I made a video on TikTok with the rain pouring in the background. My video was a year and two days apart as the rainy season began here two days ago.

Now that is not the official beginning of the rainy season, but it was interesting how my video of the rain poured behind me as I stood on the balcony and now the rain poured down this morning while I drank my coffee and wrote this.

We have been able to feel this rain coming a week ago. Much like Canada in the summer, it was hot and humid. We could feel that Mother Nature was at its breaking point. Some parts of Bali have had rain, like in Ubud but not so much in the main tourist area.

What Does it Mean?

Well, the number one thing is, a massive rush on ponchos, raincoats, and water-repellent outerwear. It also means that when it rains, it is harder to get a Go-Car, Grab, or a taxi. It also means more cars on the road in general as the people who have cars or scooters will take the car and stay dry.

For those who do not have cars, it means extra preparation such as sandals and shoes. Shoes get packed so when you get to work your footsteps do not make that squishy sound. Also, extra shirts and pants may be packed because you never know if you will be one of the lucky few getting splashed by a car or bus as they drive past you on the road.

The rainy season is interesting, it can rain one minute and be sunny the next. We can enter a coffee shop and not be able to leave for a while because it is madness outside for a short while. It is like playing Russian roulette with Mother Nature and we try and squeeze in the short trip before the trigger is pulled once more.

Then there is The Flooding.

This aspect of the rainy season is a scary one. Jakarta is known to be sinking and this little problem of sinking is a tragic problem for those in the flood areas. One wonders why all the plugs on the walls are 1.5 meters high in a house. The receptacles are nearly eye level because that is how high the floods usually go.

Don’t ask why one would want to live in this area but then you know why because the people that live there, cannot sell the house so they are somewhat prepared. In Bali, the rain can be just as bad as in Jakarta but in Jakarta, I often looked out of my office window in the Setia Budi area and watched in wonder as Mother Nature put on one hell of a show.

Unfortunately, all over Indonesia, the rain means floods, landslides, and roads as well as bridges being washed out completely. It is normal to drive through 30-40 cm of water in many areas. The water in Bali dissipates much faster than in Jakarta. Let’s hope for fewer tragic events this year and that the injuries and deaths due to the rainy season are kept to a minimum or none if possible. Stay dry everyone…