MetService has issued an urgent severe thunderstorm warning for the Auckland region, including Auckland City, Waitakere, Franklin, Rodney, and Albany.
MetService’s weather radar detected severe thunderstorms across the Auckland region this afternoon, with the storms accompanied by torrential rain.
The alert, which remains in effect until 3pm, warns of torrential rain that could lead to surface or flash flooding, creating hazardous driving conditions.
Residents are urged to take immediate precautions as the storms approach.
Key safety measures include seeking shelter, avoiding trees, moving vehicles under cover or away from trees, and exercising extreme caution while driving. Those outdoors on the water are advised to return to land immediately.
Authorities emphasize that if lives or property are threatened, individuals should call emergency services at 111.
The impacts of the storm may persist throughout the afternoon, even after the official warning period ends.
Stay tuned to local news and weather updates for further information as the situation develops.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Tupouto’a ’Ulukalala, who also serves as Tonga’s Minister of Defence and Foreign Minister, met with Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon Iwaya Takeshi.
The Crown Prince and Minister for Foreign Affairs, HRH Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, met with Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Iwaya Takeshi for the first time since his appointment, to discuss Tonga-Japan relations.
The meeting marked a significant step in advancing defence cooperation between the two nations.
The first time meeting since Iwaya’s appointment reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations, emphasising the enduring ties between the Japanese Imperial Family and the Tongan Royal Family as a cornerstone of their friendship.
During the meeting, Iwaya highlighted Japan’s contributions to regional resilience, including its support for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) under the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
He reiterated Japan’s dedication to addressing shared challenges, particularly climate change, which Pacific nations regard as the “greatest existential threat.”
“Japan is committed to strengthening regional connectivity and resilience, including through follow-up on the outcomes of the 10th PacificIslands Leaders Meeting (PALM 10) held in July 2024,” Iwaya stated.
The discussions underscored both nations’ shared vision for a stable and prosperous Pacific region, with enhanced cooperation in defence, climate action, and diplomatic relations.
The Tonga National Day event, taking place on April 18 at the Expo’s National Day Hall, Ray Garden, featured vibrant performances, traditional music, and storytelling, offering the world a glimpse into the kingdom’s unique culture.
The Taʻovala, a symbol of Tongan pride, identity, and belonging, was celebrated in a vibrant fashion show during the event.
This traditional attire, representing respect, humility, and a deep connection to Tongan roots, was showcased in various styles, from formal to everyday wear.
The event also featured Tongan rugby stars and their families in Japan, Miss Tonga Racheal Guttenbeil, and performers from the Silapeluua Dance Academy, all proudly representing Tonga.
Expo 2025 serves as a key platform for Tonga to connect with global investors, businesses, and policymakers. Potential partnerships in agriculture, handicrafts, and sustainable development could open new avenues for economic growth.
The event strengthens Tonga’s relationships with Japan and other participating nations, fostering collaborations in areas like climate resilience and infrastructure development, which are critical for the Pacific island nation.
Tourism Tonga said the participation of young performers like Racheal Guttenbeil and local artists inspires pride among Tongan youth and the global diaspora, reinforcing cultural identity.
By blending tradition with modern creativity, Tonga positions itself as a dynamic and culturally rich nation, challenging stereotypes and boosting its soft power, it said.
“We bring the heart of Tonga to the world,” said Racheal Guttenbeil, encapsulating the spirit of Tonga’s Expo mission.
With its pavilion expected to draw significant visitor engagement, Tonga’s presence at Expo 2025 promises to be a milestone in showcasing its culture and securing future opportunities.
Ex-tropical Cyclone Tam continues to lash northern New Zealand, bringing strong winds, torrential rain, and severe thunderstorms to Auckland, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty overnight.
MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Auckland, warning of intense downpours with rainfall rates of 25 to 30 mm per hour and total accumulations of 50 to 60 mm within three to four hours.
The heaviest rain is expected east of a line from Kaukapakapa to Waiuku, affecting Waitākere, the North Shore, Auckland Central, and South Auckland.
The slow-moving band of thunderstorms, linked to the remnants of Cyclone Tam, is tracking eastward, with conditions potentially easing in western areas after 1am Saturday.
Transport Disruptions and Power Outages
State Highway 25 on the Coromandel Peninsula has reopened after earlier closures due to flooding and slips.
Power companies are working to restore electricity to thousands of customers in Northland, with some repairs expected to take up to three days.
Air New Zealand has cancelled several early morning flights and is closely monitoring weather conditions nationwide.
MetService maintains multiple weather warnings and watches across the upper North Island, urging residents to stay alert for rapidly changing conditions, surface flooding, and hazardous driving conditions.
Authorities advise people to avoid unnecessary travel and prepare for possible further disruptions as the system moves south.
Commentary – Enough debate. Tonga’s Sunday laws aren’t about piety—they’re about inequality.
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku. Photo/Screenshot (Radio FM87.5)
Former Prime Minister Hu‘akavameiliku recently clarified in Parliament that Sunday isn’t completely banned in Tonga.
Ministers can issue permits for emergencies or essential services.
But here’s the truth: the law is selectively enforced, creating a two-tier system where tourists and the well-connected thrive while ordinary Tongans face punishment.
On Sundays, tourists sip beers at waterfront bars. Asian construction crews work under government permits. Yet a local selling bread risks fines. Airlines are grounded—unless it’s a medical evacuation. Hospitals and police operate, but small businesses must shut.
Where’s the Christian morality in that?
This isn’t about faith—it’s about control. If the law can’t be applied fairly, it shouldn’t exist at all.
Why should a foreigner enjoy freedoms denied to Tongans? Why are some businesses privileged while others are penalised?
Tonga’s Sunday laws don’t uphold holiness; they entrench hypocrisy. It’s time to scrap them or enforce them equally.
Tonga’s Sunday restrictions are defended as a sacred tradition—but here’s the irony: the very nations that brought Christianity to the kingdom don’t enforce such laws.
France introduced Catholicism. British, Australian, and New Zealand missionaries spread Protestantism. Yet none of these nations ban Sunday commerce. Instead, they thrive with open economies, flexible workweeks, and personal freedom, while still upholding Christian values. Worse, these same countries fund more than half of Tonga’s budget.
So why does Tonga cling to a law its spiritual mentors abandoned long ago?
If shutting down businesses truly strengthened morality, Europe and the Pacific’s richest Christian nations would do the same. Instead, they trust their people to honour the Sabbath without state coercion.
The choice is simple: practice what you preach, or abandon the pretence.
Senior State Department officials have drafted plans to close at least a dozen U.S. consulates overseas by this summer, with further shutdowns under consideration, according to American officials.
The move could weaken Washington’s diplomatic reach and intelligence-gathering capabilities at a time of growing global competition.
Despite fears that Pacific Island nations might be affected, Tonga and other key regional partners have been spared, at least for now. The decision comes amid mixed signals from the U.S. government, which has sought to strengthen ties with the Pacific while also scaling back its global diplomatic footprint.
A post on The Pacific Room’s Facebook account mentions rumours about the possible closure of the US Embassy, presumably referring to the office in the kingdom.
The US Embassy in Tonga could not be reached for comment.
The New York Times reported that the closures will result in significant layoffs among locally employed staff, who make up roughly two-thirds of the State Department’s overseas workforce.
In 2022, the United States opened its new embassy in Tonga, fulfilling a key diplomatic pledge.
During a Pacific Islands Forum address in July that year, former Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged past neglect, stating, “We recognise that in recent years the Pacific Islands may not have received the diplomatic attention and support that you deserve. So I am here to tell you directly: We are going to change that.”
Yet as consulates shutter elsewhere, questions remain over whether the U.S. can sustain its engagement in the Pacific amid broader diplomatic cuts.
The downsizing aligns with former President Donald Trump’s broader push to shrink the federal government and his “America First” foreign policy, which has seen the U.S. retreat from traditional diplomatic engagements, including democracy promotion, human rights advocacy, and foreign aid.
The consulate closures follow growing frustration among Pacific Island leaders over U.S. trade policies.
Fiji’s Finance Minister has criticised the Trump administration’s 32% tariff on Fijian goods—the highest in the Pacific—calling it unfair. Meanwhile, a Tokelau government spokesperson expressed confusion over how the region could be seen as a threat to the U.S. economy.
President Trump had previously accused Fiji of imposing a 63% tariff on American goods, citing alleged currency manipulation and trade barriers—a claim strongly disputed by Fijian officials.
For now, Tonga and its neighbours remain on the safe list—but with further closures possible, regional leaders are watching closely.
Tonga are seeking to host an inaugural Pacific Championships international at the end of the year in what would be a huge boost to the code in the powerhouse rugby league nation.
The Tongan rugby league team. (Source: Photosport)
Head coach Kristian Woolf is backing the plan for a clash at Teufaiva Sports Stadium in Nuku’alofa, which had a capacity for 10,000 people.
The stadium, repaired after Cyclone Gita struck in 2018, already had as tenants the Moana Pasifika Super Rugby side and Tongan international rugby union and soccer teams.
The Australian government allocated $600 million (NZ$644 million) over 10 years last December towards rugby league in the Pacific. While $290 million (NZ$311 million) of that was dedicated to the operations of the PNG side that will enter the NRL in 2028, there was also $250 million (NZ$268 million) set aside for what is known as the Pacific rugby league partnership.
The partnership would facilitate and strengthen grassroots participation and create an elite pathway system for players in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. That would eventually include development officers and academies.
The Tongan Rugby League believed hosting a Pacific Cup match this year, while interest in the team was sky high, would generate enormous interest and fast-track the planned development programmes.
The Pacific Championships, which have a Cup and Bowl component in both men’s and women’s league, were jointly funded by the Australian Government and NRL.
It was unknown how much longer superstar Tongan players such as Jason Taumalolo would keep playing but he and the likes of Isaiya Katoa, Haumole Olakau’atu, Felise Kaufusi and Eliesa Katoa have created the interest and following.
There was a wave of momentum behind Tongan rugby league and taking the game there would assist rugby league in its quest to “own” the hearts and minds of the public and become the number one code.
This year’s Pacific Cup in October/November would feature Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand.
The Tongans were proposing the home match this year be played against New Zealand. AAP has been told their preference was for the Tonga v Samoa clash to be played at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta in front of a potential sellout crowd. That would open up a New Zealand v Samoa fixture in Auckland in front of another capacity crowd.
In 2019, between 30,000 and 40,000 people lined the main streets of Nuku’alofa to welcome the team after they had beaten Australia 16-12, the first time the Kangaroos had lost to a tier-two nation. The population of Tonga was 104,000.
The extraordinary scenes were a demonstration of the passionate support and interest the Tongans have created in the code.
While Teufaiva Sports Stadium itself held 10,000 people, if a Pacific Cup clash was played there it was likely two to three times that amount would be outside and in the main square to keep tabs on the game in what would be a true festival of rugby league.
When Tonga beat New Zealand 25-24 in Auckland in last year’s Pacific Cup, there were thousands of people packed in the square watching the match on a big screen.
For Tongans around the world, Good Friday is a day of deep reflection and communal worship. But for those living overseas, returning home to participate in traditional Easter observances isn’t always possible.
Tongan Diaspora Bridges Oceans for Good Friday: Overseas Community Sponsors FM Livestream of Vava’u’s Stations of the Cross
This year, however, the Tongan diaspora found a powerful way to bridge the distance by sponsoring a livestream broadcast of Vava’u’s solemn Stations of the Cross reenactment, allowing families and fellow believers to join in devotion from afar.
Radio FM Broadcom FM 87.5 streamed the procession in Vava’u this morning, thanking sponsors, including Mele Finau Folau mo e Eiki and Tongia Mailangi, Maulupekotofa Mailangi, Isi Tapueluelu, and others from Kelana and the Church of Sangato Sosefo Ko e Tangata Ngaue for their financial assistance.
The initiative highlights how modern technology is helping sustain Tonga’s deeply rooted religious traditions, even as migration disperses its people across the globe.
The Stations of the Cross is a devotional reenactment of Jesus’ final hours and holds special significance in Tonga.
It has been practised for more than five decades since it was initiated in Houma, Tongatapu’s Catholic church in the 1980s.
In Vava’u, the observance was marked by prayerful processions, hymns, and dramatic portrayals of Christ’s journey to Calvary.
With Tonga’s diaspora expanding, livestreamed church services, feast day celebrations, and even funerals are becoming increasingly common, ensuring that traditions endure across generations and oceans.
Samuela Hafoka has been sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of theft.
However, the final 10 months of his sentence have been suspended for two years, contingent on his compliance with strict court-imposed conditions.
The court heard that on September 28, 2023, the complainant, Sione Poilangi Paea, parked his red Mazda vehicle (license C 27972) in front of Loumaile Lodge along Taufa’ahau Road before going inside.
After work, Mr. Paea visited Reload Bar, consumed alcohol, and took a taxi home.
In the early hours of the following morning, Hafoka allegedly found a set of car keys near Maseia Plaza. Spotting parked vehicles along Taufa’ahau Road, he pressed the key fob, unlocking Mr Paea’s Mazda, which he then drove away.
Mr Paea discovered his missing car at around 8am and reported the theft to police.
The vehicle, valued at $13,000, was later recovered on October 1, 2023, after police responded to a report in Kolofo’ou.
Hafoka, found heavily intoxicated, had driven the stolen car to Fetoa Lotaki’s residence. He was arrested for drunkenness, and the vehicle was seized.
Hafoka cooperated with authorities, admitting to the offense.
In sentencing, Justice Tupou ordered that the final 10 months of his 22-month term be suspended for two years, provided he adheres to the following conditions:
Not committing any imprisonable offense during suspension
Being placed on probation
Reporting to probation services within 48 hours of release
Completing a life skills or other court-directed program
Failure to comply could result in the suspension being revoked, requiring Hafoka to serve the remaining sentence. With remissions and conditional suspension, he is expected to serve 12 months in prison.
Olivieta Leiorina Vea has pleaded guilty to one count of causing bodily injury while driving under the influence of alcohol in a case stemming from an August 2024 incident.
The court heard that on the evening of 2 August 2024, Vea and the complainant attended a work party at Sia’atoutai, where both consumed alcohol.
Vea reportedly drank more than five glasses of wine. An argument later erupted between the two, prompting the complainant to take Vea and their two children to her parents’ home in Pahu.
Upon arrival, the complainant parked the car and took the children inside, but Vea entered the driver’s seat. When the complainant returned to the vehicle, Vea accelerated abruptly, causing the complainant to grab the door in an attempt to stop her.
Vea did not stop, and as the complainant lost his grip, she swerved and collided with an electric pole.
Police Officer Hefa, who was nearby, heard the crash and witnessed Vea fleeing the scene. After apprehending her, he noted she was bloodied and arranged for medical attention. Subsequent alcohol tests revealed Vea’s breath alcohol level at 820 micrograms per litre—well over the legal limit.
The complainant suffered serious injuries, including a fractured clavicle, lung contusions, and a femur fracture, as confirmed by Dr. ‘Isileli Tu’ipulotu.
Vea, who has no prior convictions, cooperated with police and admitted guilt.
Justice Tupou sentenced her to one and a half years’ imprisonment for bodily harm and two months for drunk driving, to be served concurrently. However, the sentence was fully suspended for two years under strict conditions, including:
Probation supervision
Completion of a life skills course with the Salvation Army
A two-year driving ban
Justice Tupou warned that failure to comply would result in Vea serving the original prison term.
