Jan 18 (Kyodo) - The eruption of an underwater volcano off Tonga on Saturday that caused tsunami waves of up to around 1 meter to hit parts of Japan's coast stumped weather experts, as volcanic eruptions are said to rarely cause a rise in tide levels.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano located about 8,000 kilometers from Japan, erupted around 1:10 p.m. Saturday Japan time, resulting in a plume of smoke reaching a height of 16,000 meters and blanketing the area in a thick film of volcanic dust, according to satellite imagery.
Japan's weather agency released information at 7:03 p.m. saying slight changes in sea level
