A tsunami warning was issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday for the majority of the US West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska after a massive undersea volcano eruption near Tonga.
The tsunami warning, issued at 14:34 UTC, is now in effect for the US states of California, Oregon, Washington, Southeast and South Alaska (along with the Alaska Peninsula), the Canadian province of British Columbia and the Aleutian Islands.
#BREAKING: #Tsunami Advisories are in effect for Hawaii, the west coast of the United States, Canada, and Alaska as a result of the #Tonga volcanic eruption. 🌊⚠️ pic.twitter.com/fz9EcmJEsI
— Dylan Federico (@DylanFedericoWX) January 15, 2022
A tsunami warning was also issued for Japan, particularly for the southern Amami island and Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, according to NHK citing Japan's Meteorological Agency. Besides, a tsunami advisory for all coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean was also issued. According to the meteorologists' estimations, the waves could be up to three meters high.
According to the weather service, a tsunami is expected to hit the Californian coast between 7:30 and 8:10 am local time [15:30-16:10 GMT]. In the next hours, waves are expected in the states of Oregon, Washington, and the province of British Columbia.
People who live near beaches, harbours, marinas and other coastal areas are advised to steer clear of the shores and move inland or uphill.
"We have reports that boats are now out of the water and on the docks - they have been moved by the tsunami," the National Weather Service's Tsunami Alerts account tweeted.
We have reports that boats are now out of the water and on the docks-- they have been moved by the tsunami.
— NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) January 15, 2022
The tsunami advisory comes in the wake of a powerful undersea volcanic eruption near the Pacific nation of Tonga. The country also experienced tsunamis, with waves forcing people out of their homes. The nation is also bracing itself for heavy rain, flash flooding, and storms.
According to Tonga Geological Services, the undersea eruption only lasted up to 15 minutes but caused enormous ash clouds rising about 20 kilometres high. The sound of the volcano erupting was so loud that it could reportedly be heard 800 kilometres away.
