An underwater volcano in the South Pacific erupted Saturday with a stunning blast, sending tsunami waves onto nearby Tonga and to the north in Japan, with warnings of dangerous ocean surges issued as far away as the US West Coast. Dramatic satellite images showed the long, rumbling eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai send a huge mushroom of smoke and ash into the air and a shockwave across the surrounding waters. A tsunami wave measuring 1.2 metres (four feet) was observed in Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology. The Japan Meteorological Agency said tsunami reached that ... (full story)