It is two days since the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haa'pai volcano exploded, cloaking Tonga in ash, triggering a Pacific-wide tsunami and releasing shock waves that wrapped around the globe.
Tonga has been virtually cut off from the rest of the world after a massive volcanic eruption that crippled communications with the Pacific island nation. Experts warned that internet connection may not be fully restored for weeks.
Neighbouring countries and international agencies are trying to grasp the scale of the damage. New Zealand's leader Jacinda Ardern said that it is believed to be "significant".
Wellington and Canberra scrambled reconnaissance planes in an attempt to get a sense of the damage from the air today. C-130 military transport aircraft are on standby to drop emergency supplies or to land if runways are deemed operational.
The volcanic blast on Saturday is known to have seriously damaged the ash-covered capital Nuku'alofa and severed an undersea communications cable - which could take two weeks to restore.
The eruption was recorded around the world and heard as far away as Alaska, triggering a tsunami that flooded Pacific coastlines from Japan to the United States.
Ms Ardern told reporters that New Zealand was relying on satellite phones to communicate with the island nation that is home to some 100,000 people.
The reconnaissance flights would help to advise Tonga's government of the scale of the volcanic and tsunami damage and help to identify aid needs, Ms Ardern added.
The premier, who has spoken to the New Zealand embassy in Tonga, has described how boats and "large boulders" washed ashore north of Nuku'alofa.
Wellington's defence minister said he understood the island nation had managed to restore power in "large parts" of the city.
Southern Cross is assisting Tonga Cable Limited which owns the 872km cable linking the island nation with Fiji - and from there to the rest of the world.
Initially it was believed the fault was due to power failure following the powerful eruption. But further testing once power was restored indicated a break in the cable.
Tonga was previously isolated for two weeks in 2019 when a ship's anchor cut the cable and a small, locally operated satellite service was set up to allow minimal contact with the outside world.
-RTE