Atmospheric shockwave from massive volcanic eruption detected in Kilkenny

The eruption of a massive underwater volcano in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga early Saturday morning, likely to be the largest recorded volcanic eruption in over thirty years, managed to leave its mark right here in Kilkenny.

The eruption, as well as sending tsunami waves across the Pacific, also sent a powerful atmospheric shockwave that travelled around the world at a speed of about 300m (1,000ft) per second.

Two dramatic changes in air pressure were detected by Kilkenny Weather in the subsequent hours after the eruption (see below) as the shockwave radius travelled around the globe and hit Kilkenny from both directions.

There was a huge volcanic eruption yesterday in Tonga in the Pacific Ocean. This video shows the shockwave. That shockwave travelled around the world & was detectable twice, several hours later, here in Kilkenny on my air pressure sensor, coming round the world in both directions https://t.co/2lPaGm6eHS pic.twitter.com/7F0fMEQ035

— Kilkenny Weather (@kilkennyweather) January 16, 2022

Tonga has been hit hard by the eruption and resulting tsunami, and international efforts are currently being accelerated to assess the damage in the country and provide assistance.