In short. The first downpours of the season on 1–2 November 2026 showed what rain can do in Bali: by the BPBD summary, 64 disaster sites in one day, almost all in the mountain and eastern regencies: landslides, fallen trees, collapsed roads. The rules are simple: before a long trip, open the BMKG warnings; in heavy rain and at night, do not ride mountain roads; do not sleep below a slope or by a river; if water gets into the house, switch off the power at the breaker; in an emergency, call 112.
What happened in early November. According to the BPBD Bali province summary for Monday 2 November, retold by Kompas and JPNN, 64 incidents happened on the island in one day: Gianyar 15, Karangasem 12, Bangli 11, Klungkung 10, Badung 6, Buleleng and Tabanan 5 each. Landslides and fallen trees dominated, and there were road collapses, collapsed walls and buildings, and one flood in Klungkung. In Tabanan, Gianyar, Karangasem and Bangli BPBD called the rain extreme, in Badung heavy and very heavy, in Denpasar, Jembrana and Buleleng moderate and heavy. The worst case was in Pelaga, Petang district of Badung: on the night of 1 November a landslide swept a glamping cabin into the river. Of 23 guests, 21 were evacuated and two are still being searched for. By BPBD data about 121 millimetres of rain fell there in a day. On 3 November a landslide in the Tembuku area of Bangli regency destroyed the surface of the Kintamani–Denpasar road: gaps of 21 and 16 metres, with a detour via Pulasari-Kangin.
This is only the start of the season. By the BMKG forecast of 2 October the rainy season in the mountains begins in late November, in the south of the island from 11 to 20 December, with the peak almost everywhere in February. The November downpours are formally not yet the season, and still they already caused landslides. In its forecast recommendations BMKG names three risks of the season: floods at the peak, landslides on slopes and in the hills after long rain, and a rise in dengue because of standing water.
Where to check warnings. There are two official sources.
- BMKG. The page “Peringatan Dini Nowcasting Bali” shows warnings of moderate and heavy rain with thunderstorm and strong wind by district of Bali for the next hours. If there are none, the page says so: “Saat ini tidak ada peringatan dini nowcasting aktif di wilayah Bali”. The same warnings arrive in the official Info BMKG app, which also has the forecast by district and earthquakes.
- BPBD Bali. The province's emergency agency publishes summaries and warnings on its site bpbd.baliprov.go.id and on Instagram @bpbdbali (the link is on its site). The office phone in Denpasar is (0361) 245-397, address Jl. D.I. Panjaitan No. 6, Renon; this is not a 24-hour line, for an emergency there is 112.
Signs of a landslide. A landslide rarely comes without warning. BMKG advises leaving at once at the first signs of ground movement, without waiting for an order, and not returning to the site until it is declared safe. Signs named by the national agency BNPB (CNN Indonesia, 2018): cracks in buildings and retaining walls, subsiding ground, tilted poles and trees, muddy water in a well or spring on the slope. The Yogyakarta BPBD adds a rumble from the slope: if you hear it, leave immediately. After a day of heavy rain, such signs on the slope near your house are a reason to spend the night elsewhere.
Accommodation by a slope or river. After Pelaga the Bali tourism board proposed mapping all accommodation in risk zones and checking drainage and evacuation routes there, but so far this is only a proposal. So the check is up to you: when booking a villa, glamping site or mountain cabin for December to March, ask the hosts how the building sits relative to the slope and the riverbed, where the water goes in a downpour and what to do at night in heavy rain. Our advice: in heavy rain do not sleep in a cabin that stands right under a cliff or on the bank of a mountain river, even if it is booked and paid for.
Water in the house. The procedure given by BMKG and PLN. Move documents, electronics and valuables higher up, and pack an emergency bag with documents, a charger, medicines and water. If water comes into the house, switch off the electricity at the meter or the MCB breaker, do not touch appliances with wet hands, use safe lighting such as a torch, and report to PLN through the PLN Mobile app or on 123. Details on electricity and outages are in the guide to PLN. Do not throw rubbish into ditches and canals: a blocked drain turns ordinary rain into a flood in the street, which is also BMKG advice.
On a scooter. Our advice from rainy-season experience; there are no official rules here. Do not drive into a stream across the road: water hides potholes, open manholes and washed-out asphalt, and half a metre of current knocks a scooter over. If the scooter stalls in water, do not try to start it again: water in the cylinder wrecks the engine, so push it to a dry place and call the rental. In the mountains after rain, ride slowly: the road has mud, leaves and rocks from the slope, and visibility in a downpour falls to nothing. Do not ride mountain roads at night or in heavy rain, as the November summaries show: Kintamani, Bedugul, Bangli, Karangasem. A raincoat, a helmet with a visor and a phone charger in your bag are a must, as in the guide to renting a scooter.
Mountain roads. BPBD does not always list which sections are closed. Before you leave, check the route in your navigation app: broken and blocked roads are usually already marked with a detour, as on the Kintamani–Denpasar road after 3 November. If the navigator sends you along a narrow mountain road after a night of rain, take the main road even if it is longer. Information on closed sections is published by regency BPBDs and the police on their accounts, and ask locals at a petrol station or a warung too: they know where the slope has come down.
If trouble happens. The single emergency number is 112, free, works from a locked phone and without credit. The search and rescue agency Basarnas takes calls on 115. All numbers and phrases for talking to the operator are in the guide to emergency numbers. If a landslide has come down nearby, do not go to clear the debris yourself: the ground is unstable, and in Pelaga it was exactly unstable ground and debris that hindered the rescuers. Move to a safe place, call and wait for rescuers.
After the water. Floodwater in Bali carries leptospirosis: people are infected through scratches on the legs when walking barefoot in water. How to protect yourself and when to see a doctor is in the guide to leptospirosis. Standing water after rain means mosquitoes and dengue: turn over buckets and containers in the yard. If power or internet is gone after a downpour, the steps are in the guides to PLN and home internet.
What this means for you. By the forecast the season in the south starts in December, but the mountains are already flooding. Before a trip to Kintamani, Bedugul, Sidemen or Amed, open the BMKG warnings page and the forecast for the day, ride mountain roads only by day and in dry weather, and choose accommodation by a slope or river only after asking the host. Save 112 in your phone today, before you need it. If your visa or extension ends right in the rainy season, do not leave the application to the last day: the trip to immigration takes longer in a downpour. You can also message us on Telegram, @buzz_visa: we handle the application, the fee and the appointment, and you come to immigration for the photo and interview.