In the morning of Wednesday May 13th, 2026, a significant MAG-5.7 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 285 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga. Roughly 1 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 282 kilometers (175 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 285 kilometer southwest of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 154 km.
| Date and Time: | May 13, 2026 10:19AM (Tongatapu Time) - May 12, 2026 21:19 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 285 km SW of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 23°12'15"S 176°50'55"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.7 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
| Depth: | 154 km (96 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | III
Weak On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.
Roughly 1 thousand people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 1 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Very weak shaking and no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 960 people. At II, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Tonga .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 960 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 0 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Tonga . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga. Nuku‘alofa is located 285 kilometer (177 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 285 km (177 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is III.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since February 10th, 2026, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 289 km (180 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on June 15th, 2023.
In total, 38 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.7. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 154 km (96 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 13/05/26 11:08 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000sx9x
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260512_0000335
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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