A 6.1 earthquake was recorded in Tonga at 2:19 pm this afternoon, centred 106 km (65miles) South East of Hihifo, Niuatoputapu.

The USGS reported that the quake was located at 16.727 degrees South and 173.174 degrees West at a depth of 10.9km. Niuatoputapu was the closest inhabited island. The quake's centre was 229 NNE of Neaifu, Vava'u and 355 km SSW of Apia, Samoa.

Niuatoputapu meteorological officer, Langi Liu said this afternoon that he had not felt the earthquake shaking.

No shaking was felt further south by residents in Vava'u or on Tongatapu.

Meanwhile, Langi said that the sea level at Hihifo was continuing to fluctuate this afternoon with the level dropping very low on the coast and then bubbling back to a higher level. This was the same effect he observed this morning during the first tsunami waves that that had traveled across the Pacific Basin from the Japan March 11 earthquake.