Residents of Nuku'alofa woke up to the spectacular sight of a sprouting white cloud of volcanic smoke or steam, which could be seen clearly on the northern horizon from the Nuku'alofa waterfront this morning. Geologists who estimate the underwater eruption is 34 nautical miles away from the capital will try to get closer to the event tomorrow.

An underwater volcanic eruption in the vicinity of the twin islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai is sending up a huge column of white and grey smoke thousands of metres into the air that stood out against the bright blue sky this morning.

A spokesperson from the Geological Division of the Ministry of Lands said that the smoke was reported to the Ministry by the Tonga Defence Services yesterday, March 17, and the government geologist and staff of the Geological Division were on their way to have a closer look at the event.

They believe that there was an underwater eruption following a strong sharp tremor that was felt in Nuku'alofa on Friday. She said they believed that the underwater activity is taking place to the west of the twin islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai, within sight of Nuku'alofa.

Update

But later this afternoon they said that their visit had been postponed to midday March 19.

The government geologist Kelepi Mafi said that they had been negotiating with the Tonga Defence Services to use one of their patrol boats and they have struck a deal for them to supply the diesel for the boat.

Meanwhile, there is nothing much he could say until they get closer to the site and assess what is happening, "whether an island has emerged above the water or all these activities are still taking place under the water."

He said that the equipment they have to record seismic movement in Tonga, could not differentiate between an earthquake and a volcanic eruption, but from their seismic chart and the smoke that could be seen from Nuku'alofa, he was certain that it was an "under water volcanic eruption."

During the past three weeks sharp tremors have been felt in Nuku'alofa about twice a week. The last of which was the longest, about four seconds, on last Friday afternoon March 13.