Floods hit Denpasar, several districts in Bali

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Floods caused by incessant heavy rains over the past three days have inundated tens of houses and uprooted trees in Denpasar and several districts in Bali Province.

"At least 71 families living in Legian, Kuta, have been evacuated to safer areas," Anak Agung Gede Alit, head of the Bali provincial social affairs office, said here on Monday.

The local social affairs office, in cooperation with the Badung Red Cross, set up a public kitchen to help the flood victims.

The Denpasar meteorological and geophysics office urged local residents and tourists in Bali to stay alert as the region was entering the peak of the rainy season which could trigger floods, strong winds and huge waves.

La Nina, which is developing into Northern Hemisphere Spring 2009, is expected to cause above-average precipitation over Indonesia, during January-March 2009 according to the US NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) recently.

The current rainy season has triggered floods and landslides in various parts of Indonesia, including in East Java, South Sulawesi, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and Aceh provinces.

source:antara.co.id