The Samoa Meteorological Division (M.E.T.) has canceled its tsunami advisory which was issued Saturday evening after an underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga.

The violent eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano at around 5.26pm (local time) on Saturday triggered a tsunami with waves reportedly measuring 2.7 feet crashing into buildings on islands in Tonga including the main island of Tongatapu.

The M.E.T. in Samoa issued a tsunami advisory with authorities in neighbouring countries also alerting their local population while urging people to stay away from the coast.

The tsunami advisory issued by the M.E.T. was canceled 6.34am Monday, though authorities urged the public to exercise caution as the volcanic eruptions in Tonga continue.

“The Tsunami Advisory previously in effect for Samoa is now canceled,” the M.E.T. statement on its Facebook page reads.

“However, it should be mentioned that the ongoing volcanic eruptions in Tonga may continue to cause powerful waves and further strong surges in the coming hours/days.

“Locations that have previously been calm can suddenly experience unpredictable surges. 

“In addition, the combination of the effects of the present unstable weather and already-heightened sea levels with related surges from the Tonga eruption has the potential to create hazards that have not previously been experienced. 

“Therefore, the general public is advised to remain cautious and continue to take extreme care in and around the water as there may be sea-level changes and strong unusual currents may persist. 

“The Meteorology Division will continue to monitor the situation in Tonga and will provide regular updates if conditions warrant.”

A Savai’i-based retired Australian geologist, 92-year-old Tuapou Warren Jopling, told the Samoa Observer on Sunday that he fears for the public in Tonga and neighbouring nations.

He said the underwater volcano that erupted on Saturday is located in “tectonically one of the most unstable areas in the world” and the region could be in for months or even years of “volcanic unrest”.

An American volcanologist and geologist, Timothy Catron, believes the region can expect more tsunamis until the edifice of the volcano stabilises.

"Although today's tsunami was quite large, we simply do not know how much of the volcano collapsed," Mr. Catron said, in an email response to this newspaper.

"These collapses will continue to occur intermittently, generating more tsunamis until the Hunga Tonga volcano's edifice stabilises. (If more tsunamis were to occur, they would likely be 5-20 per cent the size of Saturday's tsunami)."