Tonga

Tonga is an island and archipelago in the South Pacific. On 15th January 2022 a volcano erupted off the coast. Shortly after a tidal wave struck the island and all electronic communication ceased.

At time of writing (17th January 2022) satellite imagery is impossible due to a dense ash cloud. Reportedly[1] the Royal New Zealand Air Force is sending a reconnaissance flight to assess the degree of damage. This was unsuccessful due to the ash cloud and returned to New Zealand.

Satellite view of the volcanic thunderstorm at the time of the eruption.

At 11.20pm on 18th January three ships could be observed approaching Tonga, the first to purposefully visit after the disaster. (The first ship to pass by was the freighter Pacific Islander II, which rerouted to Suva)