When setting up a business or thinking of where to work, the country’s climate and time zones are crucial for decision-making. Let’s understand Indonesia’s time zone, climate, and weather!
Indonesia Time Zone
There are 3 different types of time zones that Indonesia goes by.
- Western Indonesia time UTC +7 (Eg; Jakarta)
- Central Indonesia time UTC +8 (Eg; Makassar)
- Eastern Indonesia time UTC +9(Eg; Manokwari)
Indonesia & Its Regional Climate
A location’s or region’s climate is influenced by its:
- Latitude
- Height
- Terrain
- Neighbouring water bodies and currents
Rainfall is usually the main variable in Indonesia’s climate as there are various variations of rainfalls that dawn on Indonesia throughout the year. Here are the 2 seasons in Indonesia:
- Dry season: June to September
- Rainy season: November to March
These 2 seasons differ across its various islands and the west coast of Sumatra gets a noticeably small amount of rainfall at 400 centimetres per year which is similar to Kalimantan, Java, Papua, and some parts of Sulawesi. The dampest regions of Indonesia with rainfall totalling 2,000 millimetres a year are in islands such as:
- West Sumatra
- West Java
- Bali
- Central Kalimantan
- Sulawesi
- Papua
As an effect of global warming and climate change, the weather in Indonesia is unpredictable. Sometimes, heavy rain will emerge during dry seasons while drought can hit certain areas during rainy seasons.
Sumatra experienced rain from October to January in the north and November to February in the south. Bali and Kalimantan on the other hand are relatively unaffected by seasonal weather changes. The inconsistent weather patterns are caused by global warming, affecting rainfall patterns in Indonesia.
Climate Change and Global warming
Due to its geographical location and warm climates, Indonesia is extremely sensitive to climate change risks. Indonesia is concerned about climate change since agriculture highly accounts for its Gross Domestic Products. Indonesia as a developing country further limits its capacity to respond to threats.
It is vulnerable to rising sea levels, flooding, and landslides. In the coastal areas of Indonesia, sea level rise due to global warming is currently roughly three to five millimetres per year. However, there are certain responses that the Indonesian government came up with which include mitigations and adaptations. There were also campaigns launched by the authorities to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to prevent global warming.
Working & Living in Indonesia
The climate and time zone are easily adaptable by both foreigners and locals. With its ideal geographical location and proximity between cities, Indonesia puts its name on the map as one of the best places to live and work.
FAQs
Indonesia experiences warm weather and does not have a winter season. The temperature is not low enough for snow formation. It is unlikely you will find snow anywhere else other than the mountain peaks in Papua Island.
Much of Indonesia is very close to the equator and quite tropical. From March to May, Philippines is the hottest and from June to October it is usually the wettest period. The coolest months are from November to February.
The coldest months (with the lowest average sea temperature) are January and February (28°C).
The coastal plains averaging 28 °C, the inland and mountain areas averaging 26 °C, and the higher mountain regions, 23 °C.