Science A tsunami caused by an eruption in Tonga hits the coasts of Japan, the US, Canada and Chile
The tsunami risk from the powerful eruption of a volcano in
Tonga
has passed, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said on Sunday, after strong waves reached the coasts of
Japan
, the
United States
or
Chile
.
"Based on available data, the tsunami threat from this volcanic eruption has passed," the institute said at 0300 GMT, adding that authorities in "impacted coastal areas should be vigilant ... to determine
when it is safe to
resume normal activities
."
The powerful eruption caused a cascade of alerts throughout the
Pacific Ocean
: New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, the United States, Japan, Ecuador, Chile, among others, although in most places no major mishaps occurred.
At 0300 GMT, the
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
sent out a notification to note that "based on available data, the tsunami threat from this volcanic eruption has passed."
The phenomenon
caused a wave of 1.2 meters
in the remote Japanese island of Amami and a smaller tsunami in other parts of the coast.
At the other end of the Pacific, in Chile, the waves reached between 30 centimeters and one meter.
All the beaches in the country, where thousands of Chileans enjoyed the southern summer, were evacuated while bathers
received strident alerts on their phones
.
In
Ecuador
, "significant sea level disturbances" of up to half a meter were recorded, and
Peru
also reported slight flooding in some coastal towns and "anomalous waves" that led to the closure of 22 ports as a precaution.
In
Australia
, authorities said parts of the coastline, including Sydney, could be hit by waves.
Residents of the surrounding New South Wales state were also advised to "get out of the water and away from the shore".
The
US National Weather Service
also issued tsunami warnings for the West Coast, from
California
to
Alaska
, forecasting waves of up to 60 centimeters, strong currents and coastal flooding.
Canada also put the province of British Columbia on alert.
The head of US diplomacy,
Antony Blinken
, was concerned about the consequences of the double catastrophe in Tonga and assured that his country "is prepared to provide support to our neighbors in the Pacific."
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai
volcano
was located under the sea about 65 kilometers north of the Tongan capital.
However, its recent eruptions brought it to the surface and have formed a small uninhabited island.
"Significant" damage in Tonga
The Tongan
capital
suffered "significant" damage from the tsunami caused by a powerful undersea volcanic eruption in the
Pacific
.
Through images taken from space, it was possible to observe the moment when the last eruption of the
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai
volcano sent a mushroom of smoke and ash into the air and a shock wave through the surrounding sea.
The
eruption
was felt by everyone.
In
Alaska
, 10,000 kilometers away, a powerful roar was heard, and in
Scotland
, at the antipodes of the volcano, the Fife weather station recorded a jump in air pressure due to this phenomenon.
The volcano caused a wave of 1.2 meters in the capital of the Tonga islands, Nuku'alofa, whose inhabitants took refuge in high areas leaving behind flooded houses with structural damage.
"The
tsunami
has had a significant impact on the northern
Nuku'alofa
coastline , with boats and large stones washed ashore," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, adding there was no news so far. dead.
"Nuku'alofa
is covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash, but conditions are calm and stable," added Ardern, who will send a reconnaissance plane to the archipelago.
His government managed to contact his embassy in the
Tongan
capital , where communications are down, complicating assessment of tsunami damage.
"It was a massive explosion,"
resident Mere Taufa, who was at home preparing dinner, told the news site Stuff.
"The ground shook, the whole house was shaking. It was coming in waves," he said.
"We knew right away that it was a
tsunami
, with the water that came into the house," he added.
The
eruption
lasted eight minutes, and was so strong it was heard "like distant thunder" in the Fiji Islands, more than 800 km away, officials in Suva, the capital, said.
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