A tsunami has hit Tonga's largest island, Tongatapu, and reportedly sent waves of flooding to the capital after an underwater volcano in the South Pacific erupted in a violent eruption on Saturday, sending ash into the air. And a cloud of gas steam was sent.
Satellite imagery shows massive ash clouds and shockwaves from the explosion.
A tsunami warning has been issued for the islands of Tonga. A tsunami advisory has also been issued as far away as New Zealand's North Island.
Waves crossed the shoreline of Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa on Saturday, flooding coastal roads and properties, according to CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand (RNZ).
King Taupo VI of Tonga was evacuated from the Royal Palace after a tsunami flooded the capital, RNZ reported, citing local media reports that a convoy of police and soldiers escorted the emperor to a villa in Mata Ki Yua.
RNZ said residents moved to higher ground as waves swept across the palace grounds, the coast and the main road.
RNZ said ash was falling from the sky in Nuku'alofa on Saturday evening and phone connections were closed.
According to RNZ, the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano erupted for the first time on Friday, sending a plume of ash 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into the air.
The second explosion occurred at 5:26 pm on Saturday. Local time, RNZ reported.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said it recorded a tsunami wave of 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) near Nuku'alofa at 5:30 p.m. Local time on Saturday.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves of 2.7 feet (83 cm) were seen by gauge in Nuku'alofa and 2 feet in Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, Reuters reported.
Jesse Tuisinu, a television reporter from Fiji Forest, posted a video on Twitter of huge waves washing down the shore, with people trying to avoid water coming into their vehicles. "It's really dark in some parts of Tonga and people are running to safer places after the explosion," he said in another tweet.
According to RNZ, the volcano is located approximately 30 kilometers (18.6 mi) southeast of Tonga's Fonuafou Island, and about 65 kilometers (40 mi) north of Nuku'alofa.
In addition to a tsunami warning, Tonga's meteorological services have issued advisories for heavy rain, flash floods and strong winds in land and coastal waters.
The nearby Fiji island has also issued a public advisory asking people living in low-lying coastal areas to "move to safety in anticipation of strong currents and dangerous waves".
According to the Office of National Disaster Management, a tsunami advisory is also in effect for the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, with residents advising to move away from the coastline and seek higher ground.
The Samoa Meteorological Service said tsunami monitoring is in effect for all of Samoa's low-lying coastal areas. "All people living in low-lying coastal areas are advised to stay away from beach areas and the public should avoid visiting coastal areas," the agency said.
A tsunami advisory has also been issued for coastal areas off the north and east coast of New Zealand's North Island and the Chatham Islands, where "strong and unusual currents and unexpected surges along the coast" are expected, according to New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency. Is. ,
New Zealand's official weather service said weather stations across the country saw an "increased pressure" from the eruption on Saturday evening.
Emily Lane, a scientist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, told the New Zealand Science Media Center that it was a "very significant" eruption.
"The shock wave is clearly visible in satellite imagery and there are reports of an explosion at least as far away as New Zealand," she said. "The tsunami from the eruption reached more than 2,500 km, which has been recorded on gauges throughout Aotearoa."
Lane said tsunamis generated by volcanoes are much less common than tsunamis caused by underwater earthquakes.
A small eruption in late 2014/early 2015 made the crater of the volcano just above the water's surface, Lane said, but it is not yet clear how Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Hapai erupted on this occasion. "When we look at what's left of the island after this explosion, we can start to piece together the pieces of what happened," she said.
Professor Shane Cronin from the School of the Environment at the University of Auckland told the New Zealand Science Media Center that research into historical eruptions by the same volcano suggested that the current eruption episode could last for weeks or months "and that further eruptions of similar size could be expected until 15 January 2022." event is possible."
"The eruption is likely to result in significant ash fall (cm to ten centimeters) in Tongatapu as well as the Haapai group of islands," he said. "Help will be needed to restore drinking water supplies. The people of Tonga should also be on alert for further eruptions and especially tsunamis and avoid low-lying areas."
According to the NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the tsunami warning previously issued for American Samoa has been rescinded.
According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, there is no tsunami threat to Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands from a "distant eruption".
The volcano had been active since 20 December, but was declared inactive on 11 January, according to the RNZ.