Tonga volcano eruption triggers tsunami warnings in Japan and Pacific islands

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that it expected surge waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) to reach the Amami and Tokara Islands.

New Delhi: A massive undersea volcanic eruption in the island country of Tonga caused a wave surge in the Pacific on Saturday and has resulted in triggering tsunami warnings in Japan and the Pacific islands.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that it expected surge waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) to reach the Amami and Tokara Islands, both part of the Ryukyu archipelago stretching southwest to Taiwan.

In a briefing, a Japan Meteorological Agency official urged people not to go near the sea until the tsunami advisory and more serious tsunami warnings had been lifted. The warnings - the first in more than five years - covered several specific areas.