Results for Natural events

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Mal has moved away from Tongan waters. Tonga Met reported that the cyclone system located to the southwest of Tonga had weakened to a low pressure, yesterday and will no longer directly affect Tonga. Previous gale warnings for Tele-ki-Tonga and Tele-ki-Tokelau coastal waters have since been downgraded to strong wind warnings.

It comes as no surprise that cyclones are forming outside of the normal tropical cyclone season, as a result of El Niño, Tonga’s Director of Meteorology, ‘Ofa Fa’anunu told Matangi Tonga this morning. As President of the World Meteorology Organisation (WMO) Region V, 'Ofa said that Severe Tropical Cyclone Lola that hit Vanuatu this week, marked an early beginning for the 2023/24 tropical cyclone season in the South West Pacific.

A new tsunami evacuation signboard was unveiled by the visiting UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Ms. Mami Mizutori, on ‘Apifo’ou College grounds today, 20 October 2023, followed by a tsunami siren drill exercise.

A cheque for $52,306 pa'anga was donated to Her Majesty’s Charity by the Peau Kula Art Fundraiser, yesterday, 17 October. Tanya Edwards, a local visual artist and New Zealand Artist, Benjamin Work, presented the cheque to HM Queen Nanasipau’u, at the Royal Palace.

Continuing volcanic activity at the Home Reef in Tonga poses low risk to the Vava’u and Ha’apai Communities, Tonga Geological Services stated today, after recording five recent eruptions - two in the past 24 hours and three during the last two days.

Disaster response requires effective coordination and communication, the participants in Exercise Longreach were told this week. More than 70 representatives from first responder agencies in Tonga are meeting in an ongoing collaboration between the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the National Disaster Risk Management Office (formerly NEMO) and His Majesty's Armed Forces, in an exercise to make sure all systems are in place for the next disaster response whenever it may strike in Tonga.

Tonga co-hosted a Climate Mobility Summit on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held under the theme “Harnessing Climate Mobility for Adaption and Resilience”, on 18 September, in New York, organised by the Global Centre for Climate Mobility.

Over 30 new houses have been completed, with more under construction for families in Tongatapu and ‘Eua, whose homes were destroyed by Severe Tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018.

Tonga is experiencing unusual cold weather, with cool days and cooler nights, and local people are trying to keep warm. Sunday's 9.3°C at Lapaha was close to the national record low of 8.7°C experienced in 1994.