The eruption of an underwater volcano off the coast of the South Pacific island of Tonga on Saturday triggered a tsunami and raised fears that residents in coastal areas were at risk.
And the US Center to monitor the tsunami waves in the Pacific Ocean spoke of a "dangerous tsunami" caused by volcanic activity near the Kingdom of Tonga, about two thousand kilometers northeast of New Zealand.
The American Center said - in a statement - that it had detected waves two feet (about 60 centimeters) high on the island of American Samoa, to the east of the island of Samoa.
He added that the island of American Samoa is threatened by fluctuations in sea level and strong ocean waves that may pose a threat to beaches in coastal cities.
In Tonga, the Meteorological Service reported that small tsunami waves 30 centimeters high were detected after the volcanic eruption.
Jaw-dropping satellite imagery of the volcanic eruption in Tonga.
Wow.
pic.twitter.com/8CqXCOxdsc
— Dakota Smith (@weatherdak) January 15, 2022
And the authorities in Tonga asked citizens to stay indoors, maintain drinking water and wear masks when going out.
For its part, New Zealand authorities issued a tsunami warning after the eruption of the Tonga volcano, and the national emergency agency said that the dangerous tsunami waves were caused by volcanic activity in Tonga.
The volcano erupted on Friday, releasing a cloud of ash, steam and gas into the air at a height of 20 km.
The Geological Survey of Tonga stated that the volcano witnessed an intermittent eruption in late December, but indicated that the eruption that occurred yesterday, Friday, was 7 times stronger compared to its last eruption.