‘Spectacle not over’: Tonga volcano’s impact on Qld

Queenslanders this morning caught a glimpse of a rare and striking sight as volcanic ash from an eruption near the Tonga Islands approached the Australian coast.

Queenslanders this morning caught a glimpse of a rare and striking sight as volcanic ash from the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai eruption near Tonga approached the Australian coast.

Stunning sunrises were captured this morning right along the state’s coastline and were particularly vibrant in Cairns and Townsville.

Volcanic ash from an eruption in the Pacific Ocean has made its way to Queensland.

BOM meteorologist Steven Hadley said the colourful display was a result of matter from the eruption in the Pacific Ocean making its way into the stratosphere- the level above the troposphere where almost all weather occurs.

“It was a really violent eruption so it pushed the volcanic ash really high into the sky,” Mr Hadley said.

“So it’s actually moving across with the stratospheric winds which are easterly.

“It’s really quite high above our heads.”

Sunlight scattered by volcanic ash made for a beautiful sunrise off Trinity Beach this morning. Photo: Danetta Lee

The matter is visible on satellite imagery and Mr Hadley said its composition would be related to fine particulates which erupted.

Red, orange and purple painted the skies off the central and northern Queensland coast on Monday morning as light bounced off the matter.

Mr Hadley said the volcanic ash may not be as obvious to the eye during the daytime.

“It’s only once the sun sets and rises that it’s going through a much larger depth of atmosphere,” he said.

“There’s more scattering of the light waves coming from the sun, when the sun is low in the sky.”

It’s expected the ash will spread west across the state and towards the Northern Territory.

Queenslanders could be in for a spectacular sunset.