Results for Natural events

Tonga is expecting another King Tide this evening, with some sea flooding expected when the high tide occurs at 8:57 pm in Nuku‘alofa. The extreme high tides experienced this week are expected to continue through to Sunday.

A short strong tremor was felt in Nuku'alofa this morning but no damage has been reported. The USGS Earthquake Information Center recorded a deep M5.4 earthquake centred 38km north east of Nuku'alofa at a local time of 11:41am.

A strong 7.4Mw tremor rattled Nuku'alofa before dawn for over a minute starting at 6:19am. Two aftershocks, including 6.6Mw were felt in Nuku'alofa after 10:00am. The first 7.4Mw earthquake was centred south of Fiji and Tonga at a depth of about 170km-208km in an area of the Tonga-Kermadec arc that has frequent moderate to large deep earthquakes. The deep earthquakes are generally less hazardous than shallow earthquakes.

A gale warning is in force for all land areas of Tonga bringing heavy rain to the capital today. The bad weather is expected to continue tomorrow with increasing strong winds that can be damaging.

Tonga has been lucky, and has so far enjoyed a largely uneventful 2012-13 South Pacific Cyclone Season, although there were cyclone alerts and gale warnings during January.

A tropical cyclone may develop in the next 30 to 36 hours, effecting the Niuas, Vava’u and Ha’apai.

A strong wind warning remains in force for Vava'u, Ha'apai and Tongatapu coastal waters this morning, 17 December, as Severe Tropical Cyclone Evan (cat. 4) located near Fiji moves to the southwest.

A tropical cyclone alert remains in force for Niuafo'ou. Tropical Cyclone Advisory Number 8 for Tonga on severe Tropical Cyclone Evan issued from Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Center at 12:45pm 15 December 2012.

A family of 11 escaped unharmed after a freak tornado ripped apart their small home at Makaunga, on the eastern side of Tongatapu, during heavy rain and wind on the afternoon of Thursday, September 27.