No news is good news, as they say,
Dan
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FROM BBC
Tonga struck by strong earthquake
A strong earthquake measuring 8.0 has rocked the Pacific island nation of Tonga, reports say.
The US Geological Survey said the quake was centred about 155km (95 miles) south of the island of Neiafu and north-east of the capital, Nuku'alofa.
It struck at 0426 local time (1526 GMT), the USGS said.
There was no immediate word of damage or casualties, but tsunami alerts were in effect for Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Hawaii.
"We have a tsunami warning for Fiji and New Zealand and for the rest of the Pacific we have a tsunami watch," ocean scientist Nathan Becker of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, told the AFP news agency.
Earthquakes as strong as magnitude 8.0 could trigger a lethal tsunami, depending on conditions and the nature of the quake.
Estimates from the PTWC suggested that any tsunami might hit Fiji as early as 1713 GMT, less than two hours after the quake.
Areas along New Zealand's coastline were told to expect tsunami-type waves within the coming hours.
Appeals for information about the quake via the USGS website yielded several early responses.
Reports from the capital, Nuku'alofa, suggested heavy shaking and some potential damage to property.
Other islands reported lesser shocks.
Dan
----
FROM BBC
Tonga struck by strong earthquake
A strong earthquake measuring 8.0 has rocked the Pacific island nation of Tonga, reports say.
The US Geological Survey said the quake was centred about 155km (95 miles) south of the island of Neiafu and north-east of the capital, Nuku'alofa.
It struck at 0426 local time (1526 GMT), the USGS said.
There was no immediate word of damage or casualties, but tsunami alerts were in effect for Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Hawaii.
"We have a tsunami warning for Fiji and New Zealand and for the rest of the Pacific we have a tsunami watch," ocean scientist Nathan Becker of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, told the AFP news agency.
Earthquakes as strong as magnitude 8.0 could trigger a lethal tsunami, depending on conditions and the nature of the quake.
Estimates from the PTWC suggested that any tsunami might hit Fiji as early as 1713 GMT, less than two hours after the quake.
Areas along New Zealand's coastline were told to expect tsunami-type waves within the coming hours.
Appeals for information about the quake via the USGS website yielded several early responses.
Reports from the capital, Nuku'alofa, suggested heavy shaking and some potential damage to property.
Other islands reported lesser shocks.