What date in 1883 did the Krakatoa tsunami occur?

The Krakatoa tsunami occurred on August 27, 1883, during the climactic final day of the volcano’s eruption. A series of enormous explosions and collapses at Krakatau displaced seawater in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, producing destructive waves along both coastlines.

The eruption had already begun days earlier, and smaller tsunami waves were reported on August 26. That earlier activity can cause confusion, but August 27 is the standard date associated with the catastrophic tsunami sequence and the eruption’s greatest explosions. The largest blast occurred at about 10:02 a.m. local time, while several other explosions also generated waves.

The disaster killed tens of thousands of people, most from tsunami flooding rather than from volcanic ejecta. Some waves reportedly reached heights of roughly 30–40 metres near nearby shores. Krakatoa’s eruption also sent ash around the globe, producing unusually vivid sunsets for years afterward.