A tsunami alert has been issued for Tonga following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, as reported by the US Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred approximately 62 miles northeast of the main island.
The Pacific Island of Tonga is facing an urgent tsunami warning after the significant tremor struck nearby. The US Geological Survey indicated that the earthquake took place at around 1:18 AM local time on Monday, which corresponds to 1:18 PM British Summer Time. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has cautioned that dangerous large waves may impact coastlines within 185 miles of the earthquake’s epicenter. Currently, there are no immediate reports of damage.
Tonga, an independent nation within the Polynesian archipelago, is situated about 2,000 miles from the east coast of Australia. It comprises 171 islands and has a population exceeding 100,000, with the majority residing on the main island of Tongatapu. The country frequently experiences seismic activity due to its location along the Tonga Trench, one of the most seismically active regions globally.
The Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne has stated that there is no tsunami threat to Australia. They communicated via X (Twitter): “No tsunami threat to Australia from the magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Tonga islands.”