A number of countries were reported to be affected by the eruption volcano under the sea in Tonga. Some of these areas were also hit tsunami, while some were wary.
As previously reported, the eruption of the underwater volcano, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, on Saturday (15/1) triggered a tsunami that hit the Nuku’alofa region, the capital of Tonga.
The 1.2 meter high wave hit the coastal area, sweeping away properties, palaces and main roads. A number of residents also rushed to seek shelter on higher ground.
The volcano first erupted on Friday (14/1) and spewed plumes of volcanic ash as high as 20 kilometers into the air.
The second eruption occurred on Saturday (15/1) at 17:26 local time. This eruption triggered the Tonga tsunami and affected a number of other areas. Here are some of them, launch CNN.
1. United States of America
A volcanic eruption in Tonga sent high waves into the US west coast, with heights ranging from 0.9 to 1.2 meters, according to the National Weather Service office in San Diego.
The highest waves recorded were in Port San Luis, California (1.3 meters); King Cove, Alaska (1 meter); Area Cove, California (1 meter); Crescent City, California (1.1 meters); and Port Reyes, California (0.9 meters).
In Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported waves as high as 0.5 meters hitting several coastal areas.
2. Australia
The Australian region, which is very close to Tonga, recorded a wave increase of between 10-82 centimeters at several observation points on the east coast.
The local Meteorological Agency said several areas such as Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Macquarie Island and Tasmania were also affected.
3. Japan
|
Illustration. Japan is one of the countries most affected by the underwater volcanic eruption of Tonga. (AP/Mark Rightmire)- – |
One of the Asian countries that was also affected by the tsunami that erupted in Tonga was Japan. The local Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the country’s coastal areas early Sunday (16/1) morning as waves as high as 2.7 meters were seen in the northeastern prefecture of Iwate and 1.2 meters in Amami.
The Japan Meteorological Agency then issued a tsunami warning for southern Amami island and the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima prefecture and a tsunami warning for all coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean.
4. New Zealand
A tsunami warning was also issued for coastal areas on the north and east coasts of New Zealand and the Chatham Islands.
The National Emergency Management Agency predicts a risk of strong currents and unexpected waves along the coast.
In addition to the four countries above, warnings for the impact of Tonga’s underwater volcanic eruptions were also issued for a number of other adjacent areas, such as Fiji and Vanuatu. Local authorities assess the risk of some coastlines being hit by high waves.
(lnn / asr)
– .
