Tonga’s brand new island

NUKU‘ALAOFA – Tonga’s disruptive volcano has gone quiet, leaving behind a temporary island of ash.

Hangu Ha‘apai erupted out of the sea 65 kilometres north of the capital Nuku’alofa just before Christmas and this month sent enough ash into the atmosphere to force flights to be diverted or cancelled.

Tonga’s National Advisory Centre of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources said this week that the eruption had stopped and nothing was coming out of the new vent.

“There are no signs of any emissions of ash, gas, or steam observed coming out from the vent of the new-formed island,” the ministry said.

It gives a new island to join the kingdom’s existing 176.

But it is a three-square-kilometre, 120-metre high, pile of ash that is expected to be quickly washed away because the eruption had no lava in it.

Uploading some great photos of the new island on Facebook Fatai Fainga’a Jr posted: “Visiting the new volcanic island today. The beauty of nature was just amazing. The new island between Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha‘apai. Larger than the two Hungas, it was just beautiful.