A volcanic eruption was observed off the South Pacific island of Tonga on Saturday.

Satellite images show smoke from the volcano spread in a concentric manner. They also show the smoke had covered an area with a diameter of about 200 kilometers one hour later.

Officials in Tonga say the cloud of ash reached a height of about 20,000 meters.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says tsunami waves measuring about 80 centimeters were observed in Tonga.

It says waves of about 60 centimeters were seen in Samoa.

Waves about 30 centimeters high were observed in Suva, the capital of Fiji. The city is about 700 kilometers northwest of the volcano.

A footage shows a wave coming from far away and reaching the shore in Suva. Several more waves arrive after that, as residents look on.

People in Fiji say the volcanic eruption sounded like a roar of thunder in their country.