Given my interest in volcanoes a couple of months ago I looked at news of the underwater one near Tonga, but that was via a small, specialist web site and I figured it would not be of interest to NM readers.
According to the Independent, clouds 12 miles high and three miles wide formed above the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano spewing ash, gas, and steam into the atmosphere. They called it “one of the most violent volcano eruptions ever captured on satellite.”
According to comments I’ve seen, the explosions were heard here in New Zealand around 8-8:30 last night, across the North Island. The following is a spectacular catch by a satellite, complete with shock waves like a nuclear test.
Tonga has been hit fairly hard.
There’s also tsunamis, with warnings issued here for the North and East of the North Island. There’s also been some boat damage from one wave at the Tutakaka Marina.
This is also a great shot.
No Minister 
So, did you hear it?
9 pm bang like a 44 gallon drum exploding or a shot gun very close, heard generally round 45°S.
Really hard to believe but seems to the real thing.
May have been louder than Karakoa?
No! And I’m annoyed at having missed such a rare event. As you said, Krakatoa again, although I think that was louder as people in Europe heard it.
Can’t recall what I was doing last night at 9pm but probably inside watching some doco on TV.
Oh well, it’s a growing volcano so perhaps there will be further such bangs.
There were reports on the GRM (Grassroots Motorsport) forum of it being heard in Alaska.
A next existential crisis, will need hundreds if not thousands of suitably credentialed persons gender and racial representative, to jet off to some exotic location to discus options in response, the main one being a tax/levy/impost paid by those who have created some wealth but with exemptions for Politicians and the very rich as they have to run the aforementioned response.
We’re doomed I tells ya
I guess that’s blown all the Kingdom of Tonga’s carbon credits?
Comment of the year!