The tsunami that hit Tonga after the eruption of an underwater volcano located in the South Pacific, in an area very close to the island, has already reached Japan and caused an alert in the countries.
A satellite image shows how the volcanic eruption that caused the tsunami was seen from space.
The Meteorological Agency of the Asian country reported that 1.2 meter waves They began to hit the southwestern coast of the territory on Saturday night, around 11:50 p.m.
The experts had already foreseen it: hours before the natural phenomenon, they launched an alert for the Tokara and Amami areas where they expect the waves to reach a height of three meters, according to the agency ANSA.
In this sense, the national authorities requested that the inhabitants of the cities closest to the sea evacuate to higher altitudes.
Hokkaido, Chiba, Tokyo, Iwate, Hokkaido or Kagoshima are some of the places on alert.
In the United States the situation is similar.. The US Tsunami Warning Service issued a tsunami warning for the states of Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and California.
In the latter, the first slight waves that reach 45 centimeters have already begun to arrive. However, US media reported that the beaches remain open and that local authorities have not yet asked to evacuate.
Another country that is following the consequences of the eruption is Chile, where the National Emergency Office warned this Saturday about the possible arrival of a “minor tsunami” to Easter Island and part of the continental coast.
As a preventive measure, from the office they sent a message to the cell phones of the inhabitants of the places with the highest risk. In it they indicated: “As a precaution, leave the beach area, due to a minor tsunami.”
In California the first waves have already begun to arrive.
Likewise, the alarms were turned on and the citizens could hear the sirens that sounded in the beach areas. With loudspeakers, they announced through the streets: “Tsunami alert, go to safe areas,” reported EFE.
The AFP agency confirmed that in the last report, the alert was extended to the beach and coast areas of the Arica and Parinacota regions, and Coquimbo (north); Ñuble (center) and Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos (south).
“After monitoring all the coasts, we have determined that these areas are in this state of caution because there could be a tsunami of between 30 centimeters and a meterClaudio Aldea, deputy director of Onemi operations, warned in local media.
The eruption of the volcano and the first tsunami
The volcano, located about 65 kilometers north of the island of Tonga, recorded a erupted for about eight minutes and released a huge column of ash.
The explosion was recorded in images taken by satellites, the Hawaii Island Weather Service reported.
About 15 minutes after the eruption, the fierce onslaught of the waves hit homes and buildings along Tonga’s northern coastline, as can be seen in videos posted on social media by witnesses, some of whom They took refuge on the roof of their houses.
Countries with exits to the Pacific Ocean are on alert for possible tsunamis
In the face of the current emergency, the Tongan authorities asked the entire population to stay away from the beaches and coastlines until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday and to wear a mask in the face of the ash rain.
Unlike tsunamis triggered by earthquakes, where tectonic plates unload their force and a second event is unlikely to repeat itself, the volcano could again register a violent eruption that would create another ferocious tidal wave.
LM
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