Earthquake Near Tonga Triggers Tsunami Warning
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake near the island nation of Tonga led to a tsunami warning for the Pacific island country in the early morning hours of Monday local time.
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A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake rumbled near the island nation of Tonga, causing a tsunami warning for the Pacific island country. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake struck about 55 miles southeast of Pangai in the early morning hours of Monday. Pangai is home to the principal port of the Ha’apai Group of islands of Tonga.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning that hazardous waves were possible for Tonga’s coasts within 180 miles of the earthquake’s epicenter. Tsunami waves were later observed but were not extreme and were forecast to be less than three feet above the tide level. The tsunami warning was soon lifted and there were no immediate reports of damage.
A few hours later, a second quake with a magnitude of 6.1 hit in the same area. Tonga is made up of more than 170 islands in Polynesia, many of them uninhabited. With a population of just over 100,000, most people live on the main island of Tongatapu. Tongatapu is about 2,000 miles off Australia’s east coast.
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