Satellite imagery shows a massive ash cloud and shockwaves spreading from the eruption, reports CNN.

Waves crossed the shoreline of Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, on Saturday, flowing onto coastal roads and flooding properties, according to CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand (RNZ).

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga HaÊ»apai volcano sent shockwaves across the  South Pacific region.

One Tongan resident, Mere Taufa, told Stuff the eruption hit the region when her family was preparing for dinner.

“It was massive, the ground shook, our house was shaking. It came in waves, my younger brother thought bombs were exploding nearby,” Taufa told Stuff.

"My first instinct was to take cover under the table, I grabbed my little sister, and screamed at my parents and others in the house to do the same," she said.