Tsunami warning siren tests for Tonga as authorities prepare communities

Weekly tests of warning sirens have been crying out across parts of the country recently, with authorities trying to figure out if they're being heard in the right places and that they're working correctly.

The director of the National Emergency Management Office of Tonga (NEMO), Mafua Maka, said the sirens made it easier for town officers to alert entire communities in one hit.

"We're hoping that people in the most vulnerable areas will hear when the sirens are turned on with the aim to help them know that there's a tsunami warning," Mr Maka said.

"As we're still recovering from the eruption in January I believe it has taught us a lesson to be prepared."

Sounding much like an air raid siren, the sound winds up, slowly peaking, and then suddenly stops, and Mr Maka is hopeful the continuous tests will make them familiar to the people who need to hear them.

"We will continue to test the siren in the hope that people will know its sound and to make wise decisions," Mr Maka said.

NEMO has also been visiting outer islands in Tonga recently to run evacuation drills and remind communities of the siren and what the next steps should be.

"In times of emergencies there will be evacuations and we've done the evacuation drills for a while now," Mr Maka said.

*Pacific Prepared is produced by ABC International Development with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.