M5.8 earthquake 115 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 115 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga on Fri, May 4, 1956, 4:22 PM GMT-11 (03:22 UTC), 25 km (16 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.3 90 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1956-05-05 03:22:27 UTC
- Depth
- 25.0 km (15.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.520° S, 172.821° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.53
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem888220. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:35 PM UTC.