An underwater volcanic eruption in the Pacific sparked panic in the islands of Tonga on Saturday, with a tsunami that sent 1.20-meter waves in Japan and raised alerts on the west coast of the United States and Chile.
Through images taken from space, it was possible to observe the moment when the last eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano threw a mushroom of smoke and ash into the air and a shock wave through the surrounding sea.
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said a 1.2 meter wave was observed in Nuku’alofa, the capital of the islands of Tonga.
The aftermath of the eruption reached Japan, where authorities reported a 1.2-meter wave on the remote island of Amami and a smaller tsunami in other parts of the coast. They also warned of possible waves of up to three meters.
In Tonga, residents were fleeing this Saturday. “It was a big blast,” Mere Taufa, who was at home preparing dinner, told Stuff. “The ground shook, the whole house was shaken. It came in waves. My younger brother thought bombs were going off near our house.”
A few minutes later, water invaded her house and she saw the wall of a neighboring house collapse. “We knew right away that it was a tsunami, with the water hitting the house. You could hear screams everywhere and everyone started fleeing into the heights,” he added.
The eruption lasted eight minutes and was so strong that it was heard “like distant thunder” in Fiji, more than 800 kilometers away, officials in Suva, the capital, said.
– Move away from shore –
Victorina Kioa, from the Tonga Public Services Commission, urged the population to stay away “from all the places that are threatened, that is, the beaches, the reefs and all the flat coasts”.
The archipelago’s head of geological services, Taaniela Kula, also urged people to stay indoors, wear masks outside and cover water reservoirs in case of acid rain.
Similar alerts were also issued in New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, American Samoa, Australia and Chile, where the National Emergency Office warned of the possibility of a “minor tsunami” hitting Easter Island and part of the mainland coast.
In Australia, officials said parts of the coast, including Sydney, could be hit by waves. Residents of the neighboring state of New South Wales were also advised to “get out of the water and away from shore”.
The US National Weather Service also issued tsunami warnings for the west coast from California to Alaska, predicting waves up to 60 centimeters, strong currents and coastal flooding.
“A tsunami is underway. Remember: the first wave may not be the biggest. Move away from the coast and head to higher ground,” wrote the country’s National Tsunami Warning Center.
So did Canada, which issued a tsunami warning for the province of British Columbia.
In addition, according to the U.S. Weather Services, Hawaii has been affected by “small flooding”.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano is located on an uninhabited island about 65 kilometers north of Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga.
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