Offstream
news

A 7.0 Mw earthquake strikes near the island country of Tonga with a 6.1 Mw aftershock. A tsunami warning is issued and later lifted.
2025-03-30

Tonga is hit by ashfall and a tsunami after the eruption of Hunga Tonga, destroying homes as locals struggle to find higher ground. Major flooding is reported in the capital Nukuʻalofa. Shock waves from the eruption are detected as far away as Alaska, United States. Other Pacific countries have also advised their citizens to seek higher ground. Internet access has reportedly been disrupted in Tonga.
2022-01-15

Tonga reports its first case of COVID-19 in a person who travelled from Christchurch, New Zealand to Nukuʻalofa and is now in isolation.
2021-10-29

A court in Tonga sentences the former Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism ʻAkosita Lavulavu and her husband to six years in prison after the Supreme Court found them both guilty of obtaining money by false pretenses.
2021-07-2

Tonga extends the state of emergency, which includes curfews and restrictions on gatherings, until November 23. The country, which is COVID-19-free, imposed strict measures on March 12.
2020-10-28

Tonga pays an outstanding fee in order not to lose its voting rights at the United Nations General Assembly. Tonga was among seven countries suspended last week for not paying their assessed contributions.
2020-01-14

Tonga and Fiji declare a state of emergency as part of an ongoing measles outbreak. Conditions worsen in Samoa where the death toll continues to rise and schools remain closed. There are 1,797 confirmed cases as of Saturday, with 153 detected on Friday alone.
2019-11-23

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes west of the Pacific Island of Tonga. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
2017-08-19

Tonga restores contact with the Ha'apai islands after Cyclone Ian passed through during the weekend, killing one person and significantly damaging structures.
2014-01-13