Earthquake.now

M5.2 Earthquake near Neiafu, Tonga — 08 September 2026

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.2 was recorded near Neiafu, Tonga on , with an epicentre 22 km south-southeast of Neiafu, at a focal depth of 35.0 km. It was the strongest of the 17 earthquakes recorded in Tonga in the preceding 30 days.

5.2 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2026-09-08 11:51:12

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.2 (moderate)

Focal depth: 35.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: -18.8489, -173.9420

Location: 22 km SSE of Neiafu, Tonga

Country: Tonga

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 417, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 00:15 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.

This event was shallower than 69% of the 397 earthquakes recorded in Tonga in our catalogue and stronger than 85% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -18.8489, -173.9420 — 22 km south-southeast of Neiafu. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.2 earthquake 56 km south-southeast of here on 06 August 2025.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Fakakai (97 km south-southwest), Neiafu (117 km east-southeast), Pangai (203 km south-southeast) and Kolonga (215 km south).

Why the 35 km depth matters

At 35 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

137 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.5 event near Neiafu on 24 March 2026. This M5.2 event released about 2,818 times less energy than that event.

5 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 0 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the September 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Tonga during September 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Tonga

All recorded earthquakes in Tonga →

Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 5 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Neiafu?

It measured magnitude 5.2 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Neiafu?

The focus was 35 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Neiafu earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.2 and a focal depth of 35 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Neiafu happen?

08 September 2026 at 11:51 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

How often do earthquakes happen near Neiafu?

137 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.5 event near Neiafu on 24 March 2026. This M5.2 event released about 2,818 times less energy than that event.