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Tsunami waves hit Tonga after MASSIVE volcanic eruption, sky turns black with ash

A 1.2-meter high Tsunami wave was observed in Tonga's capital city of Nukuʻalofa, located just 65 km north of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano

A massive underwater volcano erupted in Tonga on January Saturday, 15, 2022, generating a Tsunami warning for the Polynesian island and its neighboring nations. Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand are most impacted by the volcanic eruption and currently face the risk of a major Tsunami and earthquake. Frantic residents are leaving their homes to rush to safer locations on higher grounds while plumes of gas, smoke, and ash have turned the skies pitch black even in the daytime. 

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted violently for eight minutes on Saturday morning, and the terrifying phenomenon was even caught on satellite cameras. The eruption generated "loud thunder sounds" in Fiji, which is located more than 800 km from the origin of the volcano. New Zealand, located 2300 km away from the volcano, is at the risk of storm surges due to the meteorological impact of the eruption.

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Meanwhile, Tonga Geological Services has reported that volcanic ash reached a height of up to 20 km into the sky. Australian Bureau of Meteorology has reported that a 1.2-meter high Tsunami wave was observed in Tonga's capital city of Nukuʻalofa, located just 65 km north of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano. Scary photos and videos from Tonga have surfaced on social media which shows towns and cities wrapped in pitch-black darkness with high-rising waves in the sea. 

New Zealand's official weather forecaster MetService noted, "A pressure surge from the latest eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano in Tonga has been observed in our weather stations across the country this evening. Note, times are in UTC, so 0600 is 7pm NZ Time."

People from across the globe are pouring their prayers and support for the people of Tonga and other countries, as they lie at the brink of an ecological disaster. "Mannnn my heart hurts for my people rn," a user tweeted, along with a shocking video of Tsunami waves crashing through walls and roads. 

Another Twitter user shared, "It’s easy to feel helpless bc this is out of anyone’s control & we’re so far away from home; but we will continue to pray bc that’s all we can do right now #TongaVolcano."

A user from New Zealand offered refuge to the people of Tonga in case of an emergency, "#Tonga Lots of us in the #teamof5million #NewZealand will be ready to open our hearts homes and wallets to support our extended whānau #TongaVolcano."

"So sad to hear of this news. My thoughts and prayers are with the people affected and anyone else caught up in this unfortunate natural disaster," one user tweeted.