There are no reports of damage yet after an 6.8 magnitude earthquake which struck near Tonga early this morning.

It was centred 193 kilometres east-northeast of the capital Nuku'alofa at a depth of 33 kilometres.

The US Geological Survey says there is no threat of a widespread destructive tsunami, however quakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts within 100 kilometres of the epicentre.

A 5.6 magnitude aftershock followed the quake.

In September, nine people died when a tsunami hit Niuatoputapu, a northern Tongan island. It came after an earthquake measuring eight on the Richter scale. In Samoa, 143 people were killed and 34 in American Samoa.