Tonga: Gigantic volcano eruption triggers tsunami in island country, warning issued

In a shocking development, the Pacific island of Tonga was struck by a huge volcanic explosion on January 15, which was followed by a tsunami that flooded the regions of the capital, Nuku'alofa. Witnesses reported ash was falling over the capital, Nuku'alofa, and social media images showed water flooding into a church and many residences. Local residents were forced to flee to higher ground when the tsunami warning was issued.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai volcano erupted on Saturday, sending shockwaves across the South Pacific. The capital of Tonga is around 65 kilometres north of the volcano. The volcano's plumes of gas, smoke, and ash stretched 20 kilometres into the sky, according to Tonga Geological Services.

Fijian government issued a tsunami warning

According to authorities in Suva, the eight-minute eruption was so powerful that it could be heard as "loud thunder sounds" more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) away. The Fijian government had issued a tsunami warning and set up evacuation centres for those living along the low-lying coast, BBC reported.

Storm surges have been predicted in New Zealand, which is more than 2,300 kilometres away from Tonga. Coastal areas on the north and east coasts of the North Island could experience strong and unexpected currents" as well as "unpredictable surges at the shore," according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology tweeted, "No #tsunami threat to Australia from volcanic eruption near TONGA ISLANDS. A 1.2-metre tsunami wave has been observed at Nuku Alofa in Tonga at 3:30 PM AEDT. We will continue to monitor the situation."

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in the United States, the surge wave reached a height of 2.7 feet (83 cm) in Nuku'alofa. Property damage and casualties are yet to be determined. The tsunami breached the shoreline and moved into the town, according to images posted on social media from Tonga. Tsunami waves of 2 feet in height were seen by sea-level monitors at Pago Pago, the capital of the US territory of American Samoa, about 940 kilometres (580 miles) from Tonga, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The undersea Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted again on Saturday, the latest in a sequence of eruptions. The eruption on Saturday is the second recorded in the last two days. A previous eruption on Friday blasted plumes of ash and smoke into the atmosphere, with smoke clouds reaching up to 20 kilometres (12 miles). Through December of last year, the volcano has shown some intermittent activity. Officials recommended residents stay at home on Friday to protect drinking water and resources.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: Twitter/US_Stormwatch