Has Haze from Forest and Land Fires Reached Bali?

Hot weather that has recently affected Bali, together with reports from residents who have seen the sky turn dark grey, has prompted speculation that haze from forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan has reached the island.

In response, the Head of Bali’s Class II Climatology Station, Aminudin Al Roniri, said Bali was not among the areas affected by the spread of fire haze, according to monitoring by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

“Yes, that is right: it is not connected to the fires that are currently taking place,” Aminudin told detikBali on Tuesday (20 October 2026).

The fire-haze distribution map shows affected areas in parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, while Bali lies outside the areas marked.

Aminudin explained that the haze was moving north-west and north under the influence of winds from the east to south-east. The monitoring therefore does not support the theory that haze from fires in Kalimantan has reached Bali.

As for the hot weather experienced by residents in recent days, Aminudin said it was related to the Sun’s apparent position in the Southern Hemisphere since 16 October 2026, after it crossed the equator in September.

This position means that southern parts of Indonesia, including Bali, are receiving more intense sunlight. The effect is more pronounced because Bali remains in the dry season, which is expected to last until November.

Regarding residents’ reports of a dark grey sky, Aminudin said conditions in the surrounding area would need to be checked to establish the cause.

“The area needs to be checked first. Is there land or rubbish burning nearby that could be causing this kind of air pollution?” he said.