Tonga Safe Following Tsunami Alert Triggered by Russian Earthquake

Acting Prime Minister Hon. Taniela Fusimalohi assured the Legislative Assembly today that the Kingdom of Tonga remains safe following a tsunami warning issued yesterday afternoon.

The alert was triggered by a powerful magnitude 8.7 earthquake near Russia’s eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, which prompted regional tsunami warnings across the Pacific, including for Tonga.

At 3:25 PM, the Tonga Meteorological Office issued a tsunami alert, and warning sirens were sounded four times across Nukuʻalofa. Authorities advised the public to prepare for possible evacuation, with the first waves expected between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Wave heights were projected to range between 30 centimetres and 1 metre.

By 7:00 PM, five separate tsunami alerts had been issued across the Kingdom. However, the warning was officially lifted by midnight.

Hon. Fusimalohi confirmed that only minor wave activity—up to 25 centimetres—was observed in coastal areas of the Niuas. He reassured the nation that Tongatapu, Vavaʻu, Haʻapai, and ʻEua remained entirely unaffected.