Results for Natural events

The height of steam and vapour emissons from Home Reef have increased in January, during an ongoing eruption. The Alert Colour Code (ACC) for the Aviation Community is now increased to ORANGE, due to the possibility of ash being emitted, the Tonga Geological Services Volcano Watch reported this week.

A Tsunami No Threat Advisory was issued by the Tonga Meteorological Service after a 5.5 magnitude earthquake, centred close to ‘Eua, was felt in southern Tonga at 4:31pm today.

Tonga Meteorological Services issued their final advice for TD03 at 9:00am, Wednesday 17 December 2025, stating: “The potential for this system to develop into a Tropical Cyclone is very low and no direct threat to Tonga.” The depression was located about 1220km west of Niuafo'ou at 8:00am today.

Disaster preparedness equipment will be sent to 13 islands in Tongatapu and Ha’apai, to help communities better respond and cope with the aftermath of natural disasters.

No damage has been reported from a tsunami wave that passed through Tongan waters last night. A tsunami warning was cancelled at midnight after the wave was recorded at 30cm in the Niuas and 5-10 cms for the rest of Tonga.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) issued a groundbreaking advisory opinion on 3 July, regarding the Climate Emergency and Human Rights. Its ruling establishes that countries must protect the climate system as part of their human rights obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights and other relevant human rights law.

Unprecedented Ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, harming ecosystems and economies, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which highlighted how sea level rise is threatening islands in a region where more than half the population live close to the coast. The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 Report estimated that each year, at least 50,000 Pacific islanders face the risk of displacement due to the adverse effects of climate change.

Continued volcanic steam emissions and discolouration around the Home Reef volcano, are shown clearly in a Sentinel-2 satellite image on Thursday, 1 May, Tonga Geological Services reported today. "The ongoing lava effusion within the vent and intermittent explosive activity are likely to persist."

During another month of extremely high rainfall in parts of Tonga, the highest 24-hour rainfall was 197.0 mm recorded in Kolovai 3 March.