It was the first death confirmed on the island nation in the wake of the disaster, which inflicted significant damage on the capital, Nuku’alofa, and brought down communication lines.

The volcanic eruption was so powerful it flooded coastlines from Japan to the United States.

Ms Glover’s brother, Nick Eleini, confirmed on Monday that a body had been found in the search for his sister. 

The 50-year-old ran her own animal rescue shelter and was said to have been attempting to rescue up to five dogs with her husband when they were engulfed by the wave. 

Mr Glover clung to a tree to avoid being washed away, but Ms Glover lost her grip. Only one of their dogs is believed to have been recovered. 

Mr Eleini flew from his home in Sydney, Australia, to be with their mother, Jennifer, 85, at her home in Hove, East Sussex. 

Speaking on Monday, he said: “I haven’t even got the words in my vocabulary to describe how we’re feeling at the moment. This is just such a terrible shock. 

“I understand this terrible accident came about as they tried to rescue their dogs. Angela and James loved their life in Tonga and adored the Tonga people.”

Paying tribute to his sister, he added: “She was beautiful, she was absolutely a ray of sunshine. She would walk into a room and just light the room up. She loved her life, both when she was working in London and then she achieved her life’s dream of living in the South Pacific. 

“We are so proud of her achievements in such a short time in Tonga, starting a business and creating a life there. She loved animals and dogs particularly – the uglier the dog, the more she loved it. She was just a lovely girl, she was the centre of our family and we are just broken.”

Ms Glover and her husband moved to Tonga in 2015, where she started the Tonga Animal Welfare Society to provide shelter for stray dogs. He opened the Happy Sailor Tattoo Parlour in the capital. 

Donna Head, a friend of Ms Glover, wrote on social media: “I have no words other than I’m utterly heartbroken and numb. May our beautiful friend rest in peace. Ange, I will look out for your mum, I promise.”

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano exploded on Saturday, triggering a Pacific-wide tsunami and releasing shock waves that wrapped around the entire earth.