Tonga Volcano

When Hunga-Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai went off, it sent a shockwave around the world, produced a plume of water and ash that soared higher into the atmosphere than any other on record, and triggered tsunami waves that ricocheted across the region - slamming into the archipelago which lies southeast of Fiji.

Coral reefs were turned to rubble and many fish perished or migrated away.

"Our world was upside down. It was like our heart was wrenched out of our body, hearing the news, thinking there would be no more Tonga," Valeti Finau, who lives in New Zealand, said.

To mark the first anniversary of the disaster, community leaders gathered at churches in Tonga and around the world.

In Auckland, New Zealand, an event was held by the Tongan Council of Churches, chaired by Reverend Tevita Finau and the Aotearoa Tonga Response Group led by MP Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki.

Hu'akavameiliku was at home on January 15, 2022, when the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano exploded with a destructive power the world had not seen since the Krakatoa eruption of 1883. Hu'akavameiliku was meeting with a local church community group when he heard what he first thought was thunder. Within minutes he was notified of the volcano's eruption. Hu'akavameiliku recalls his first thoughts:

Scientists used satellite equipment to measure the plume created by the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcano. The blast, or eruption, of the volcano happened in January in the South Pacific near the island nation of Tonga.

The 10-minute eruption caused a series of large ocean waves, known as a tsunami, to hit areas around the world. The huge plume the volcano created included smoke, gas and water vapor.

The January eruption of Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai and the subsequent tidal wave caused devastation in Tonga and killed people as far away as South America. The atmospheric shockwave caused by the eruption was felt as far away as the UK.

Kaniva News reports the robot boat, the Maxlimer, is based in Tonga, but will return to the site of the volcano to complete the survey of the opening, known as a caldera.

The eruption "obliterated" a volcanic island north of the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa, the agency said.

Tonga says more than four-fifths of the population has been affected by the tsunami and falling ash.

Three people were confirmed killed in the tsunami last week.

Before the eruption, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic island was two separate islands joined by new land formed in 2015.

Nasa says the eruption was so powerful all the new land is gone, along with "large chunks" of the two older islands.

The eruption has covered the Pacific islands in ash, cut power and severed communications.

Up to 80,000 people there could be affected, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) told the BBC.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the tsunami had wreaked "significant damage".

No deaths have been reported so far.

Information remains scarce, however, and New Zealand and Australia are sending surveillance flights to assess the extent of the damage.

The eruption of the underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano, about 65km north of Nuku'alofa, on Saturday shot thick ash and steam 20km skywards.

University of Auckland volcanologist Professor Shane Cronin said scenes on the ground would have appeared apocalyptic after the eruption: ash clouds blotting out the sun, thunderclaps of booming shockwaves and thousands of lightening strikes.

The US warned of strong currents and waves, and coastal flooding.

The huge underwater volcanic eruption caused waves of more than a metre to crash into Tonga.

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano was heard across the South Pacific, and eventually as far away as the US.

A tsunami warning has been issued for parts of Australia's east coast and Tasmania, and the north and east coast areas of New Zealand's North Island.

A tsunami hit the Kingdom after the volcano erupted for eight minutes, throwing clouds of ash into the sky.

Waves flooded the capital, Nuku'alofa, where video footage has shown water engulfing buildings.

Communications with Tonga has been down since 6.30pm yesterday, with reports that power had been cut in the capital.

Tongan authorities should have a clearer picture this morning of the scale of the damage from Saturday's volcanic eruption and tsunami.