Poor weather disrupts Bali ferry routes
Poor weather disrupts Bali ferry routes
Wasti Atmodjo and Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Kuta, Lombok
More than 2,000 vehicles formed a 10-kilometer queue that started at Gilimanuk harbor in Jembrana, Bali, after Cyclone Jacob forced the closure of the port Thursday afternoon.
Gilimanuk Port head I Gede Putrawan said the port would be closed until the weather improved and that they were waiting to hear from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG).
"We heard on Thursday afternoon from Ketapang ferry port that two of the five ferries leaving for Gilimanuk failed to reach Bali because of the strong wind and stream. Actually the waves were normal, at about 2.5 meters in height," he said Friday.
The strong current, however, could endanger ships.
Some 21 ferries usually operate out of the port each day, running a total of 168 trips from Gilimanuk to Ketapang harbor. The port has closed several times over the last seven years due to bad weather.
Gilimanuk Port is an important trade hub for the island, which relies on various commodities from Java, such as fruit and vegetables.
Local police have been deployed to the port to ensure safety, as thousands of passengers have been waiting there for 40 hours. One woman, a passenger on a bus due to be loaded onto a ferry, gave birth to a daughter on Thursday night.
Cyclones George and Jacob came from the Indian Ocean and have caused strong winds and larger waves in Bali and Lombok.
At Padang Bai Port in Karangasem, East Bali, only one ferry was allowed to travel to Lembar Port in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Three ferries were able to head to Bali from Lombok. No ferries had been allowed to cross the Lombok Straits since Tuesday, and air transportation was also halted due to strong winds, effectively isolating Lombok.
Truck driver Joel said on Friday that he was waiting at Lembar Port in the hopes of being able to cross to Bali.
"I've been waiting three days now. No ship dares to cross due to poor weather," said Joel, who was transporting a shipment of bananas.
He said he could suffer up to Rp 30 million in losses if he did not cross soon.
Ahmad Munir, a spokesman for Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, said that the weather had improved on Friday and there had been no flight cancellations or diversions as of the afternoon. A large number of flights were delayed on Thursday.
H. Sutrisno, head of the BMG III Bali office overviewing East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and Kalimantan, said that the impact of Cyclone Jacob had already lessened.
On Thursday, the tail of Jacob cyclone had caused strong winds in several top tourist destinations in Bali, including Kuta, Nusa Dua, Benoa, Sanur and In Denpasar and nearby cities, five people died and hundreds of others were severely wounded after being hit by falling trees and buildings. Numerous historical temples and sacred buildings across Bali were damaged.
"The wind only reached 25 knots per hour today (Friday) as compared to 47 knots per hour on Thursday," Sutrisno said, adding that BMG had frequently warned the airport authority, sea transportation agencies and port authority to be alert to the possible impacts of the cyclone.
"We are closely monitoring the emergence of a new tropical cyclone after Jacob. It is now reaching the waters off Papua," Sutrisno said.
Tropical cyclones usually last between three to six days, depending on the speed of the wind. "We hope that the new emerging tropical cyclone will not cause trouble."
©Jakarta Post
Wasti Atmodjo and Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Kuta, Lombok
More than 2,000 vehicles formed a 10-kilometer queue that started at Gilimanuk harbor in Jembrana, Bali, after Cyclone Jacob forced the closure of the port Thursday afternoon.
Gilimanuk Port head I Gede Putrawan said the port would be closed until the weather improved and that they were waiting to hear from the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG).
"We heard on Thursday afternoon from Ketapang ferry port that two of the five ferries leaving for Gilimanuk failed to reach Bali because of the strong wind and stream. Actually the waves were normal, at about 2.5 meters in height," he said Friday.
The strong current, however, could endanger ships.
Some 21 ferries usually operate out of the port each day, running a total of 168 trips from Gilimanuk to Ketapang harbor. The port has closed several times over the last seven years due to bad weather.
Gilimanuk Port is an important trade hub for the island, which relies on various commodities from Java, such as fruit and vegetables.
Local police have been deployed to the port to ensure safety, as thousands of passengers have been waiting there for 40 hours. One woman, a passenger on a bus due to be loaded onto a ferry, gave birth to a daughter on Thursday night.
Cyclones George and Jacob came from the Indian Ocean and have caused strong winds and larger waves in Bali and Lombok.
At Padang Bai Port in Karangasem, East Bali, only one ferry was allowed to travel to Lembar Port in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Three ferries were able to head to Bali from Lombok. No ferries had been allowed to cross the Lombok Straits since Tuesday, and air transportation was also halted due to strong winds, effectively isolating Lombok.
Truck driver Joel said on Friday that he was waiting at Lembar Port in the hopes of being able to cross to Bali.
"I've been waiting three days now. No ship dares to cross due to poor weather," said Joel, who was transporting a shipment of bananas.
He said he could suffer up to Rp 30 million in losses if he did not cross soon.
Ahmad Munir, a spokesman for Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, said that the weather had improved on Friday and there had been no flight cancellations or diversions as of the afternoon. A large number of flights were delayed on Thursday.
H. Sutrisno, head of the BMG III Bali office overviewing East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and Kalimantan, said that the impact of Cyclone Jacob had already lessened.
On Thursday, the tail of Jacob cyclone had caused strong winds in several top tourist destinations in Bali, including Kuta, Nusa Dua, Benoa, Sanur and In Denpasar and nearby cities, five people died and hundreds of others were severely wounded after being hit by falling trees and buildings. Numerous historical temples and sacred buildings across Bali were damaged.
"The wind only reached 25 knots per hour today (Friday) as compared to 47 knots per hour on Thursday," Sutrisno said, adding that BMG had frequently warned the airport authority, sea transportation agencies and port authority to be alert to the possible impacts of the cyclone.
"We are closely monitoring the emergence of a new tropical cyclone after Jacob. It is now reaching the waters off Papua," Sutrisno said.
Tropical cyclones usually last between three to six days, depending on the speed of the wind. "We hope that the new emerging tropical cyclone will not cause trouble."
©Jakarta Post
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