Results for Natural events

FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Tongans were shaken awake early this morning, 4 May 2006, as a Magnitude 8.0 earthquake possibly Tonga's largest on record, shook the capital, where one terrified hotel guest was hospitalised after jumping off his second floor hotel balcony during the quake.

Tonga's capital was shut down for two days by Cyclone Vaianu, which brought damaging gale force winds and heavy rain, with flooding in many areas of southern Tonga.

A strong earthquake measuring 6.1 occurred close to Nuku'alofa, at 11.07 p.m. local time last night, but no damage has been reported.

This year is hotter than last year in Tonga, with the two hottest days so far this year in Tongatapu recorded on January 12-13, when the temperature reached 33 degrees celsius with 96% humidity.

We're all witnessing what tsunamis can do, but what are the lessons learned that are useful to Tonga? Before I relate my experiences below, I want you to know that Tonga is even more at the center of my thoughts and silent prayers this week. The tsunami devastation is haunting me. The number of people who have died in Aceh alone exceeds Tonga's population of 100,000! by Tupou Lindborg.

Cyclone Heta has left the isolated island of Niuatoputapu with a limited supply of food crops and a lot of damage to infrastructure, after passing within 45 km of the island in the early hours of January 6.