Heavy volcanic eruption in the Pacific: authorities warn of tsunami - video shows extent
Created: 01/15/2022Updated: 01/15/2022 13:53
By: Magdalena Furthauer
A huge cloud of ash is evidence of the eruption of the volcano near Tonga.
© Screenshot Twitter @asalmendez
A volcano erupted near the island state of Tonga in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Friday.
The population had to get to safety, and Australia is now warning of a tsunami.
Tonga - In the middle of the sea near the island nation of Tonga, an undersea volcano erupted on Friday.
Tsunami warnings have now been issued for large parts of the Pacific, including eastern Australia.
The dpa reports on this.
It is still unclear whether anyone is injured and the extent of the damage.
Volcanic eruption in the Pacific: authorities warn of tsunami - video shows extent
After the eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, local media reported on Friday evening that tidal waves had inundated properties on the main island of Tongatapu.
In addition, it had rained ash and telephone connections had failed.
Even the king of the island state, Tupou VI, was evacuated from the palace and taken to safety in the capital.
Australian weather authorities *, meanwhile, report a 1.2 meter high wave in the capital Nuku'alofa.
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.
Volcano eruption near Tonga: Video shows huge ash cloud
New Zealand's reaction shows how strong the outbreak was. Although the coasts are around 2,300 kilometers from the volcano, authorities would warn the population of "strong and unusual currents" and "unpredictable surf" on the coasts, according to Australia's
ABC
. People in Tonga themselves should have gotten to safety immediately. A video on Twitter shows the seriousness of the situation. A huge cloud of ash can be seen, the user calls the eruption a "nightmare".
The eruption in the form of "loud thunder noises" was also heard on the Fiji Islands, which are around 800 kilometers away from the eruption site.
Meanwhile, the volcano catapulted ash, steam and gas 17 kilometers into the air, according to the
ABC
.
According to this, there was still an eruption on Saturday, so the danger for Tonga does not seem to have been banned yet.
In the middle of the Pacific: volcano near Tonga has been active for some time
The US National Weather Service (NOAA) lifted the tsunami warning for American Samoa alone.
Therefore, based on the available data, it can be assumed that the worst is over for the region.
However, there could still be fluctuations in sea level.
According to local authorities, tsunami waves of up to 30 centimeters had already been measured before the volcano erupted.
In addition, the volcano had been active again since December, so the eruption itself should not have been too surprising.
However, the severity of the outbreak is currently unknown.
But even in Germany a volcano could erupt.
(mef/dpa) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
