Strong tidal waves crash into beachfronts across Indonesia

kuta-beach-bali

Photo of Kuta Beach, Bali taken earlier this year

POWERFUL waves and tidal floods have hit beachfronts in Java and Bali, affecting tourist spots in Indonesia.

The Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) has released data showing 24 cities and regencies in Java being hit in the last couple of days, damaging houses, gazebos, wave breakers and other semi permanent buildings and infrastructure. No casualties were reported.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of the Data and Information Centre and spokesperson of BNPB, said the southern part of Yogyakarta was the most affected, where five- to seven-metre waves swept across 15 beach spots popular among domestic and international travellers, such as Glagah, Sundak and Congot.

Sutopo said tidal floods are continuing to come in today and over the next couple of days in areas like Jember, Surabaya and Jakarta, among many others.

In Bali, a spokesperson for the Bali Office of the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Councils (BMKG) said while Kuta Beach will remain open to the public, they encourage tourists to refrain from activities like swimming out at sea.

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