Quake of magnitude 7.5 near Tonga - but at great depth

At the same time, the authorities on Tonga called on residents to go to evacuation centers as a precaution. The civil protection authorities advised people to take 72 hours' worth of emergency luggage with them, including water, food, medication, important documents and basic equipment. Evacuees should also keep themselves informed via reliable sources until it is safe to return.

Highest ash cloud measured on Earth in early 2022

The archipelago of Tonga, which lies around 2,300 kilometers northeast of New Zealand in the Pacific, includes around 170 islands.

In early 2022, the huge eruption of the undersea volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai near the kingdom made headlines around the world. The mountain had hurled a gigantic cloud of ash and gas kilometers into the air. Researchers later determined that it was the highest ash cloud ever measured on Earth, which even penetrated the third layer of the Earth's atmosphere, the mesosphere. The colossal eruption triggered tsunami waves and covered parts of Tonga with a thick layer of ash.