Natural Disasters
Tongans in NZ await for news from families as communication still cut
Tongans in New Zealand, who have been endlessly trying to reach family and friends back home, are worried about how their loved ones are getting by.
Tonga - ashfall affecting food, water, agriculture
Soon after Saturday's eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai, the sky was blocked out and ash began to fall.
Early photos from Tonga show cars, roads and streets blanketed in debris.
Ashfall from… Audio
Tonga eruption could create unusual sunsets, affect climate
A climate scientist says volcanic matter from the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai eruption could create unusual sunsets, once it's spread around the stratosphere.
It could also have a radiative effect… Audio
Damage remains unclear in Tonga
The extent of the damage and need in Tonga following the weekend's eruption and tsunami remains unclear, as the Defence Force prepares to send aid to the islands.
With most communication links to the… Audio
Tongans worldwide rally to assist homeland
New Zealand is preparing to send a Hercules with aid to Tonga today - provided it is safe.
The scale of the damage and need in the Pacific nation is still not clear, following Saturday's eruption of… Audio
Anxious wait for news from family and friends in Tonga
New Zealanders with whanau and friends in Tonga are anxiously waiting for communication to be restored after the violent eruption.
The lack of news has left many in a state of limbo.
Kim Moodie… Audio
NZ prepares to send Hercules to Tonga with aid
New Zealand is preparing to send a Hercules with aid to Tonga today - provided it is safe.
The scale of the damage and need in the Pacific nation is still not clear, following Saturday's eruption of… Audio
Significant damage on Tonga's west coast - NZ High Commission
There is significant damage to the western coast of Tonga's main island of Tongatapu.
Tonga's undersea cable could take weeks to repair
It could be weeks before Tonga's crucial undersea cable - which connects it to the world - is back online.
Tongans in NZ anxiously await news from home: 'It's painful, you just feel hopeless'
Tongans in New Zealand have been praying for their Pacific Island families, as they endure an agonising wait for news from relatives cut off from the world.
Northland boat owners furious no tsunami warnings
Some Northland boat owners are furious there were no tsunami siren warnings or texts before large waves smashed into the Tūtūkākā marina, sinking a number of boats on Saturday evening.
But there are… Audio
Tonga: Labour MP hears the latest from Ha'apai main island
The tense wait for information from Tonga's islands continues, following the volcanic eruption and tsunami at the weekend.
The Labour MP for Panmure-Otahuhu, Jenny Salesa, joined a zoom call with… Audio
Tonga's volcanic eruption rare and unusual
An expert says the volcanic eruption in Tonga is so rare and unusual the global geo-science community is intrigued.
The sonic boom of Saturday's explosion reverberated around the world.
To explain… Audio
Families fear for residents on Tonga's smaller islands
One of the closest villages to the volcano in Tonga is on the isolated island of Nomuka.
The Sheen family run a whale-watching business there, but they have been in New Zealand over the past month… Audio
Red Cross teams distributing relief supplies in Tonga
Red Cross teams in Tonga are distributing relief supplies.
There are currently enough supplies in the country to support 1200 homes.
Max Towle is joined live from Suva in Fiji by the Pacific head of… Audio
Communication lines to Tonga are still down
Communication lines with Tonga are still down, following a volcanic eruption and tsunami on Saturday.
Tonga's underwater volcano Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai has been erupting intermittently since… Audio
Tsunami warnings in place over the Pacific region
Tsunami warnings are in place on the north and east coast of the North Island and the Chatham Islands as authorities monitor the impact of the eruption and Cyclone Cody. Dr Emily Lane is a… Audio
Shane Cronin: Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano
Scientists are predicting that Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, could be blanketed in ash this morning. Auckland University volcanologist Professor Shane Cronin says the magma type erupted is what's… Audio
Tongan community in Aotearoa stands together
Communications are still down with Tonga, but the Tongan community in Aotearoa is gathering this morning to send their support to their whānau in the Kingdom. Pakilau Manase Lua is part of the Tonga… Audio
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption: what we know
We begin this morning in Tonga, where a massive eruption of the Tonga-Hunga Ha apai underwater volcano has sent dust and debris into the stratosphere. A 1.2 metre-high tsunami struck the Tongan… Audio
