Weather & Seasons In Bali + Climate Facts
Bali is about 8 degrees south of the equator. Therefore, you can expect a tropical, warm, and humid climate all year round – with two main seasons: Dry season and Rainy season.
Bali’s central mountains (volcanoes) include several peaks over 3,000 meters high. The temperatures up there are considerably cooler and there is much more rainfall than in the coastal areas
Dry Season
The dry season is high season
The dry season is between April and September. Bali receives most visitors in July and August. The temperatures are pretty constant all year round. During the dry season in Bali, the beaches are generally clean and Bali shows its pretty side. You can still count on occasional rains, sometimes even the locals are surprised at how dry a week can be during the rainy season and vice versa. Check out the table below and check the temperatures, no. of days with rain, etc. in the capital Denpasar (southern Bali near Kuta, Seminyak etc.).
Rainy Season
During the rainy season, which usually lasts from October to March, Bali becomes quieter. The sea is rougher, the beaches and the sea in the south (Kuta, Legian, Seminyak) can be quite dirty due to debris washed up on the coast in January and February. It doesn’t always happen, but it can happen and depends on wind conditions and currents.
During the rainy season, the winds on the coast are stronger, the water currents increase and it can rain in buckets. Usually, however, the rain stops after a few hours and the sun shines again. It rains many times at night and during the days. Very rarely do you have a few days when it rains continuously? In 2014 it didn’t rain on Bali till December! And November was as dry as every July or August. As in all parts of the world, the weather is becoming more unpredictable.
General Climate – all year round
Bali’s is located very near to the equator, therefore its warm, tropical climate makes it a huge draw for tourists. The average year-round temperature stands at around 26-27°C with a humidity level of about 85-90%. Water temperatures are always pleasant. The two seasons are not clear cut and fully predictable. Christmas and New Year is clearly high / peak season on Bali and tourists come from all over the world to enjoy the beaches, the surfing, diving, the restaurants, the club, the spas and everything else Bali has to offer – although it is technically “rainy season”. One can do everything during the wet season but climb the volcanoes and trekking in the highlands. Of course, it is more pleasant when the sun shines and also more fun while exploring the island.
Although the average numbers are based on many decades of data recording, today it seems less and less possible to count on those stats and give a solid prediction. November 2014 and 2015 where really dry and hot, while those are the months we expect the most rainfall. So in a way, it’s a bit of luck too and you can expect either way.