(10/2/2010)
The Denpasar office of the national Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned Bali residents to be on watch for unusual and potential La Niña" weather phenomena that will peak in the November-December period. Bali weather forecasters warn of rain fall coming down at an intensity of between 50-100 millimeters per hour and the potential consequences of these downpours.
Beritabali.com quoted the Bali chief of data and information at BKMG, Endro Tjahjono, saying that the effects of La Niña have already begun to be experienced in Bali via periods of intense rainfall lasting more than 2 hours.
La Niña is caused by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Pacific equator region, while its counterpart El Niño results from warmer than normal ocean temperatures.
Endro warned that the most threatening La Niña situation occurs when rain falls at an intensity exceeding 100 millimeters per hour for periods of more than two hours. Typically, this condition quite literally "precipitates" flooding and landslides.
Endro Thahjono explained that areas with land slopes exceeding 35 degrees and devoid of tree cover are most susceptible to devastating land slides. Flooding occurs in low-lying areas.
Tjahjono also said that the La Niña returns in patterns of 2 and 8 years, predicting La Niña will return to Bali in April 2011.
© Bali
Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced
if attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com.
