Bamboo Travel

Climate - Indonesia

Indonesia's weather is at its sunniest and driest between May and October. The north monsoon from China and the north Pacific increases rainfall between November and March, but this rarely creates prolonged monsoon conditions. Indonesia's climate is typical of equatorial regions in that rainfall is generally in short heavy bursts accompanied by thunder. In spite of some heavy rainfall in the wetter months, sunshine hours are abundant throughout the year. During the wetter months sunshine averages four to five hours per day, rising to eight or nine hours per day during drier periods. Most of Indonesia's islands have volcanic peaks exceeding 3,000 m which play a large part in the weather patterns, with warm air from the coastal areas being drawn up into the atmosphere in the mid morning causing afternoon showers near the mountains. Conditions on top of the mountains are much cooler than the coasts, with temperatures plunging at night often accompanied by winds, so those planning on sunrise volcano tours need to be prepared with all weather gear. The weather may often feel humid and oppressive, but the heat is never severe. Temperatures remain high throughout the year and there is very little difference from month to month.

Situated close to the equator, Central Java has a tropical climate with an average temperature between 21 C minimum and 32 C maximum. In Central Java December, January, February and March tend to be the wettest months, with dramatic tropical storms. In East Java the average temperatures range from 19 C to 30 C and the wettest months are December, January and February. The northern regions of East Java see the most sunshine, followed by the central areas whilst the mountainous terrain is the wettest. In the hills temperatures are quite cool and in the high mountains the temperature can drop to near zero at night.

Bali has a tropical climate, which has traditionally been influenced by seasonal wind pattern that alternates every six months, the dry season being from April to October with humidity around 60 % and the rainy season from October to April when humidity can rise above 90%. However these weather patterns have been much less predictable in recent years with rainfall during the last five years ranging from a low of 893 mm to a high of 2,702 mm. The north coast of Bali is much drier than southern areas, which is an important consideration for visits in the wetter season.

Lombok is a smaller and flatter island and the climate is therefore generally drier than Bali, especially in the coastal regions away from Mount Rinjani and in particular on the offshore Gili islands. Average temperatures range from 20 C to 33 C, and it can get a little cool at night during the dry reason. In the rainy season Mount Rinjani acts as a magnet for warm moist air from the sea which makes visits to the area impossible during the wettest months. Temperatures on Mount Rinjani get close to zero at night time, and afternoon rainfall should be expected most of the year.