Tsunami alert issued for Gold Coast: ‘Dangerous rips, waves and strong currents’

A tsunami alert for the Gold Coast has been cancelled after a violent underwater volcano ripped through Tonga. But beaches will remain closed.

A TSUNAMI alert for the Gold Coast has been cancelled after a violent underwater volcano ripped through Tonga. But beaches will remain closed.

The Bureau of Meteorology on Saturday warned of “dangerous rips, waves and strong ocean currents”, though the alert was cancelled at 9.30am.

Council has not stood up its disaster management team though it is expected to close all Gold Coast beaches today.

Several Gold Coast surf life saving clubs cancelled their weekly nippers programs on Sunday morning because of the warning.

The warning was for the marine environment from Sandy Cape to Point Danger including Fraser Island Coast, Sunshine Coast Waters, Moreton Bay, Gold Coast Waters and is likely to persist for several hours.

When issuing the warning, the BOM said people in the danger zones were “strongly advised” to move 1km inland “or go to high ground at least 10 metres above sea level”.

“While evacuations are not necessary for marine warning zones, people in these areas are advised to leave the water and move away from the immediate water’s edge,” the bureau said.

“Tsunami waves are more powerful than the same size beach waves. There will be many waves and the first wave may not be the largest.”

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Waves have struck Tonga, where resident Dr Faka’iloatonga Taumoefolau tweeted it was “Raining ash and tiny pebbles”, with “darkness blanketing the sky”.

Satellite images show the huge undersea blast.

Satellite images of the volcano show vast shockwaves ricocheting from the undersea blast, which triggered tsunami warnings across the South Pacific.

Warnings have also been issued for New Zealand’s north and east coasts, while Fijians have been told to avoid the water.