Earthquakes in Tonga — January 2026

19 earthquakes were recorded in Tonga during January 2026, an average of 0.6 per day.

19 reached magnitude 4 or above and 7 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 163 km.

The month's largest event in Tonga was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake near ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 31 January 2026 at 20:59 UTC. A magnitude 5.8 earthquake radiates roughly 7,558 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is close to the Tonga monthly average of 18 events over the period we cover, and up from the 18 recorded the previous month.

32% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 58% intermediate (70–300 km) and 11% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 12 in the magnitude 4 range, 7 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 26 January, when 3 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.8 near ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 31 January at 12 km; M5.4 near ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 26 January at 10 km; M5.3 near ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 18 January at 10 km.

That is close to the 18 events Tonga averages per month across the 21 months on record.