Results for Natural events

A hurricane warning is now in force for the Vava'u group, as Severe Tropical Cyclone Rene, a Category 3 storm, is expected to bring destructive hurricane force winds with gusts up to 130 knots (240 km/h) around midnight tonight, with thunderstorms, phenomenal seas, and flooding; and may develop into a Category 4 force as it passes Ha'apai and Tongatapu on Monday.

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake centred only 90 km SSE of Nuku'alofa was recorded at 3:34 pm today Saturday 13 February, but no damage has been reported.

An Action Plan for an Early Warning Tsunami System for Tonga is expected to be completed by January 2010, according to 'Ofa Fa'anunu the Chairman and Director of the Tonga Meteorology Center.

The tragedies that struck the Asia and Pacific region this month underscore the urgent action that must be taken to better protect hospitals from natural disasters. Large-scale human suffering is exacerbated when the very services that are most needed to save lives - hospitals, clinics and other health facilities - are counted among the casualties.

A strong wind warning was in force for Tongatapu and ‘Eua waters as two troughs moved over Tonga, bringing changeable weather with heavy rainfall into Nuku‘alofa for the last few days.

A cool southeast wind over Tonga has brought cool moderate temperatures with the temperature dropping to a comparatively "chilly" 13.9 degrees at Fua'amotu on Tongatapu last night, June 21, one of the shortest days of the year.

Strong, gusty winds and rain are lashing the capital Nuku‘alofa as the centre of Tropical Cyclone Lin moves towards southern Tonga in the early hours of Sunday morning. A storm warning remains in force for Ha‘apai, Tongatapu and ‘Eua Island groups. On its current track, the cyclone centre is expected to lie about 90km southwest of Ha'apai or about 95km north of Nuku'alofa at 7:00am this morning and about 55km northeast of Tongatapu at 10:00am this morning.

A tropical depression located to the north of Tonga is likely to develop into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 to 36 hours, lying to the west of Niuafo'ou bringing damaging gale force winds, the Tonga Meteorological Office forecasted at 6:00 pm today, Friday April 3.

Only a week after the massive eruption on Hunga Ha'apai on March 17-21, 2009, a group of four adventurers including a cameraman and an Italian golfer landed on the newly formed peninsula on the island and climbed up to the fragile rim of its volcanic crater, where there is a steaming sulphuric orange lake. But a volcanologist is now warning that the volcano remains extremely dangerous. Photos by GP Orbassano.