次は「迅速に発表」　トンガ噴火で津波警報・注意報―メカニズムも検討へ・気象庁長官

　気象庁の長谷川直之長官は１９日の定例記者会見で、トンガ諸島付近の海底火山噴火により１６日に発表した津波警報・注意報について「津波か分からず、かなりの時間を要した」と認めた上で、「今度同じようなことがあったら迅速に発表したい」と述べた。近く有識者会議を設置し、噴火による気圧の変動が影響した今回の大幅な潮位上昇のメカニズムや情報発表の改善策を検討する考えを示した。
　１９９１年のフィリピン・ピナトゥボ火山噴火では冷夏となり、日本でコメが不作になった。今回の噴火については「天候への影響は分かっていない。しっかり監視していきたい」と話した。（2022/01/19-16:54）

The Japan Meteorological Agency plans to make improvements so as to be ready to issue tsunami warnings quickly in case of an undersea volcanic eruption, Naoyuki Hasegawa, director-general of the agency, has told a press conference.
   The agency chief admitted Wednesday that it took too much time to issue a tsunami warning in Japan after Saturday's huge undersea volcanic eruption near Tonga in the southern Pacific.
   The agency plans to set up a panel of experts shortly to discuss ways to improve the country's tsunami warning system, in addition to analyzing how air pressure changes caused major rises in tide levels in Japan, Hasegawa said.
   The eruption occurred around 1:10 p.m. Saturday Japan time, causing tsunamis in nearby areas.
   Shortly past 7 p.m. the same day, the agency said that Japan was unlikely to receive any tsunami damage due to the eruption, while there might be small changes in sea levels on the Pacific side of the country.