Earthquake and tsunami awareness: official sources

Indonesia sits in an active seismic region, and the reliable source for warnings is BMKG, the national meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency. Knowing where to look, and agreeing a simple plan with your family on arrival, is more useful than worrying in advance. This guide lists the official channels and a calm coastal routine.

It belongs to our season, activity and traveller fit guide.

Where do I look for official information?

BMKG publishes the latest and felt earthquakes and a section for quakes that could cause a tsunami. It also links to its Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System, the Info BMKG app on Google Play and the App Store, and a WhatsApp channel ^[1]. Those are the places to check when something feels wrong.

Social media posts and forwarded messages can spread faster than facts, so wait for BMKG or local authorities to confirm. Your hotel desk is the practical second source because staff know the local evacuation route.

What do the alert tiers mean?

BMKG uses tiers. After a magnitude 7.7 quake in the Sulawesi Sea on 8 June 2026, it named some areas under a tsunami alert and others under a tsunami warning ^[2]. It urged residents to self-evacuate, move to higher ground and keep away from beaches and riverbanks ^[2].

The practical message is simple: when an official warning covers your coast, leave the shoreline.

BMKG also developed an app called Sirita that sounds a siren-like alarm on installed phones when a tsunami early warning is issued, with a first trial reported in Cilacap ^[3]. That report is older, so check whether it is available for your phone before relying on it.

What simple plan can the family agree on arrival?

You do not need a drill, only a short conversation. On arrival, ask the hotel where higher ground is and which way staff would send guests. Pick a meeting point inland.

Teach children the rule: after strong shaking, walk away from the sea, do not go back for belongings, and stay with an adult.

Keep a charged phone, passport copies and any regular medicines in one small bag you can grab. For more on disruption planning, read our guides on what to do if a volcano disrupts your flights and ferry and fast boat cancellations.

How should we think about choosing a base?

For beach holidays in Bali or Lombok, the coast is part of the trip. You can still enjoy it by picking accommodation where staff are clear on procedures, and by knowing the way to higher ground before you settle in. Ask the agency whether your hotel has an evacuation briefing or signage.

Before the trip, check what your travel insurance says about natural hazards and evacuation, because policy wording differs. Also look at the Malaysian embassy page on the kln.gov.my site for consular contacts, and keep it saved on your phone.

What do we do next?

Install the Info BMKG app, save your hotel and embassy contacts, and spend two minutes on arrival working out higher ground. If you want a second look at base areas, our region chooser narrows the island by group and pace.