Tonga: Reconnaissance flights on the way after a volcanic eruption – situation on site unclear

Reports of another underwater volcanic eruption have been withdrawn. Meanwhile, military aircraft explore the Pacific region around Tonga.

+++ 7:33 a.m .: Two days after the massive eruption of an undersea volcano near the island kingdom of Tonga in the Pacific, military aircraft from New Zealand and Australia have explored the situation from the air. The extent of the damage in the South Seas archipelago is still unclear.

Communications there continued to be severely impacted Monday, particularly on some of Tonga’s more remote islands, which have not been contacted since the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai erupted. The government there is sending out ships to explore the situation, Radio New Zealand reported on Monday. Tonga has around 170 islands, 36 of which are uninhabited.

Tonga: Another eruption of the underwater volcano not confirmed

Update from Monday, January 17th, 2022, 6:20 a.m.: The information from the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center warning center about another “large eruption” of the underwater volcano in Tonga was not confirmed by warning centers, as reported by the afp. First it said that two days after the devastating eruption of an underwater volcano in Tonga in the South Pacific, a monitoring station in Australia had detected another “major eruption”. The latest eruption was registered at 10:10 p.m. GMT (11:10 p.m. CET) Sunday evening, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also said it had detected large waves in the area: “This could be from another explosion from Tonga volcano.” “There are no known earthquakes of any significant magnitude that could produce this wave.”

After the severe eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on Saturday, high waves had caused serious damage in the Pacific state of Tonga. Because of broken communication lines, the extent of the devastation in Tonga is not yet apparent. According to the network operator, the internet outage could last for days.

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Tonga: Toxic smoke and ash from volcano become health hazard

+++ 19.00: The eruption of an underwater volcano in Tonga in the South Pacific has caused serious damage to the island nation and triggered a tsunami alarm in several regions of the world. The full extent of the devastation in Tonga was not yet apparent on Sunday due to broken communication lines, and there were initially no reports of injuries or fatalities.

In Peru, more than 10,000 kilometers away, two women were drowned by unusually high waves. The Peruvian Center for National Emergency Response blamed volcanic activity in Tonga. The tremors also caused tidal waves in Japan, the United States, New Zealand and several South American Pacific Rim countries.

According to the New Zealand embassy in Tonga, the tsunami primarily damaged the coast north of the capital, Nuku’alofa. Boats and large boulders washed ashore. Nuku’alofa is also covered with a “thick layer of volcanic ash, but otherwise the situation is calm and stable,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern.

Tonga: Toxic smoke and ash from volcano become health hazard

+++ 16.05: Due to toxic ash and toxic smoke from the volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, families and children are exposed to health risks, as the children’s charity Save the Children reports. The organization is ready to help those affected by the outbreak and the resulting tsunami, but the communication links have been destroyed, said Fiji official Shairana Ali in Suva. In Tonga, the organization supports educational projects.

The underwater volcano Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai erupted on Saturday. Tsunami warnings have been issued in Tonga and other parts of the Pacific. According to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the north side of Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, was “severely hit” by a four-foot tidal wave. Ardern announced the equivalent of around 300,000 euros in emergency aid. Australia sent planes to Tonga on Sunday to take aerial photographs to assess the extent of the damage.

Effects of the volcanic eruption in Tonga were felt thousands of kilometers away. New Zealand, Japan and Fiji registered tsunami waves on their shores. Flooding in the US state of California has been attributed to the outbreak. Tonga itself consists of more than 170 islands, but only a little more than 30 of the approximately 100,000 inhabitants of the kingdom are inhabited.

Tonga: Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupts

Update from Sunday, January 16th, 2022, 7.40 a.m .: The massive eruption of an undersea volcano near the island kingdom of Tonga triggered tidal waves in the Pacific region. Tsunami waves were recorded not only in Tonga, but also in New Zealand, Japan and Fiji. Flooding in Santa Cruz, California, has also been attributed to the outbreak. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Sunday there had been no official reports of injuries or deaths. The USA and the United Nations promised help.

Tonga was covered in volcanic dust as a result of the volcanic eruption, and communication links with the island kingdom in the South Pacific were restricted because an undersea cable was damaged. Local media in Tonga reported an ash shower, flooding of houses and disruption of telephone and electricity connections.

Ardern said authorities are working to restore communications as soon as possible. At the moment one receives “unfortunately not much information from the outer islands (…). Tonga’s water supply is a priority. The New Zealand Defense Forces would attempt to launch a surveillance flight on Monday. Ash was sighted at an altitude of almost 20 kilometers, which is currently making flying unsafe. A naval ship was also put on standby to help if needed.

Tonga volcanic eruption: Tsunami wave hits Japan

+++ 8:38 p.m .: The volcanic eruption in the island state of Tonga triggered a tsunami in Japan. A 1.2 meter high tidal wave was recorded on the remote island of Amami Oshima in the south of the country late on Saturday evening (01/15/2022), the Japanese weather service said. Smaller tidal waves were also registered at several locations along the Pacific coast of Japan.

The weather service issued a warning of waves up to three meters high. The television station NHK called on the residents of the affected coastal areas in a special program to get to higher ground to safety.

Volcanic eruption in the South Pacific: People on Tonga flee from tsunami

+++ 1.30 p.m .: After a volcanic eruption and a tsunami, numerous people fled to higher areas in the island state of Tonga in the South Pacific. “A 1.2 meter high tsunami wave was observed in Nuku’alofa,” the Australian Meteorological Service said on Saturday. As reported by local media, citing local residents, the tidal wave flooded numerous houses in the island’s capital.

The eruption on Saturday lasted eight minutes and was so strong that it could be heard “like a distant rumble of thunder” even in the Fiji islands more than 800 kilometers away, according to officials from Fiji.

Undersea volcano erupted in the South Pacific – tsunami off Tonga

+++ Update, 11.03 a.m .: Local media reports that tidal waves flooded land on the main island of Tongatapu after the eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano. It had rained ash and telephone connections had failed. The extent of the damage was initially unclear.

According to media reports, Tonga’s King Tupou VI. brought to safety from the royal palace in the capital Nuku’alofa. According to the Australian Meteorological Agency, a 1.2 meter high wave was observed in the city. The authorities of other Pacific countries also issued tsunami warnings, including Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand. People have been urged to stay away from coastal areas.

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The US National Weather Service (NOAA) has lifted the tsunami warning for American Samoa. The volcanic eruption led to a tsunami. Based on the available data, it can be assumed that the tsunami danger is over, but that there could still be fluctuations in sea level, it said.

Undersea volcano erupted in the South Pacific – tsunami warning

First message: Nuku’alofa – Because of the eruption of an undersea volcano near the island kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific, the authorities have issued a tsunami warning. The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai threw ash, steam and gas up to 20 kilometers into the air on Friday, the Tonga Geological Survey (TGS) said. People have been urged to stay indoors and wear masks outside. There was no tsunami warning for Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand.

The volcano has been active again and again since December. However, according to TGS, the latest eruption was seven times stronger than the last eruption. The agency also warned of possible acid rain in the region. Initially, only small tsunami waves of up to 30 centimeters were registered, according to the local weather office. The volcano is about 30 kilometers southeast of Tonga’s Fonuafo’ou Island (also known as Falcon Island). (ktho/lrg/dpa/epd)

Rubriklistenbild: © AFP PHOTO / NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS (JAPAN)