Jakarta. The equatorial Rossby phenomenon that triggered deadly floods in Bali earlier this week has shifted westward toward Java, Indonesia’s disaster management agency said Wednesday.

BNPB chief Suharyanto said the atmospheric anomaly is no longer present in Bali but is now affecting East Java, Central Java, and West Java. Authorities in those provinces have been placed on high alert and instructed to prepare for potential heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides.

“It is no longer present in Bali because it has moved westward. So the regions we must intervene in now are East Java, Central Java, and West Java,” Suharyanto told state news agency Antara.

To mitigate risks, BNPB will conduct weather modification operations in East Java. “The hope is that the rain can be predicted and managed so that when it arrives, it won’t cause floods like in Bali,” he said.

Ongoing Disaster Response in Bali

Despite the shift, authorities continue to deal with the aftermath of Bali’s floods. President Prabowo Subianto has ordered BNPB to remain on-site to oversee relief operations and ensure that search and rescue efforts are completed.

“On the President’s direct order this afternoon, I and the relevant officials were instructed to act immediately, to make sure that those still missing are truly found, and that the basic needs of affected communities are met without shortage,” Suharyanto said.

BNPB confirmed Wednesday evening that nine people have died and six remain missing following days of torrential rain across the island. Floodwaters inundated parts of Denpasar, Jembrana, Badung, and Gianyar, forcing evacuations from densely populated neighborhoods and popular tourist areas.

Search-and-rescue teams began evacuating foreign tourists from hotels and shops along Jalan Dewi Sri in Kuta late Wednesday afternoon as floodwaters persisted in the area.

The Bali provincial government, in coordination with BNPB, has declared an emergency response status to accelerate evacuation, relief distribution, and rehabilitation measures. The initial two-week emergency status was later shortened to one week after field assessments indicated the disaster’s overall impact was less severe than feared.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned that the Rossby wave could continue influencing weather patterns over Java until mid-September, overlapping with the seasonal transition that often produces extreme rainfall events.

BNPB urged residents across Java to remain vigilant, avoid riverbanks and flood-prone areas, and follow official advisories as emergency teams prepare for potential severe weather in the coming days.

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