Tonga issues tsunami warning after undersea volcano erupts | News

People, including Tonga’s king, evacuated from coastal areas after an undersea volcano erupts close to the Pacific nation.

The Pacific nation of Tonga issued a tsunami warning on Saturday after an undersea volcano erupted, and video posted to social media showed large waves washing ashore in coastal areas.

Tonga Meteorological Services said the tsunami warning was in effect for all of Tonga. Authorities in nearby Fiji also issued a warning, telling people to avoid the shoreline due to strong currents and dangerous waves.

The Islands Business news site reported that a convoy of police and military troops evacuated Tonga’s King Tupou VI from his palace near the shore. He was among many residents headed for higher ground.

The explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano was the latest in a series of spectacular eruptions.

A Twitter user called Dr Faka’iloatonga Taumoefolau posted video showing waves crashing ashore.

“Can literally hear the volcano eruption, sounds pretty violent,” he wrote, adding in a later post: “Raining ash and tiny pebbles, darkness blanketing the sky.”

Earlier, the Matangi Tonga news site reported that scientists observed massive explosions, thunder and lightning near the volcano after it started erupting early on Friday.

The site said satellite images showed a 5km-wide (3-mile) plume of ash, steam and gas rising into the air to about 20km (12 miles).

More than 2,300km (1,400 miles) away in New Zealand, officials were warning of storm surges from the eruption.

The National Emergency Management Agency said some parts of New Zealand could expect “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following a large volcanic eruption”.

Late on Saturday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat to American Samoa appeared to have passed, although minor sea fluctuations could continue.