There is no tsunami threat to New Zealand following a strong earthquake in the Philippines, but warnings are in force for many other countries in the Pacific.
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency assessed the danger after the 7.8 quake hit about noon today (NZ time).
It struck at a depth of 63km off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
The USGS is reporting the tremor at magnitude 7.8. It had earlier been reported as 8.2.
“NEMA has assessed the information with the assistance of science advisors,” the agency said in a statement.
“Based on current information, the initial assessment is that the earthquake is unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will affect New Zealand.”
The Philippines and Indonesia experience hundreds of quakes each year and sit on tectonically complex parts of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a seismically active belt stretching from South America to the Russian Far East.
Warnings for parts of Pacific
The US Tsunami Warning Centre has issued advisories for parts of the Pacific to be less than 30cm above the tide level for the coasts of:
- American Samoa
- Chuuk FSM
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Guam
- Hawai’i
- Kiribati
- Kosrae (FSM)
- Marshall islands
- Nauru
- New Caledonia
- CNMI
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Pohnpei (FSM)
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Wallis Futuna
- Yap
The US Tsunami Warning Centre said government agencies responsible for threatened coastal areas should take action to inform and instruct any coastal populations at risk in accordance with their own evaluation, procedures and the level of threat.
Appeal to stay out of water
A tsunami advisory remains in effect for the Marianas – the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. Authorities are warning of hazardous ocean conditions and strong currents along coastlines.
The first tsunami-related sea level fluctuations could reach Guam from 12.45pm (local time), before spreading northward across the Northern Marianas, with estimated arrival times of 12.54pm in Rota, 1.02opm in Tinian and 1.04pm in Saipan.
Officials cautioned that actual arrival times may vary and that the first wave may not be the largest.
Forecast impacts include sea level changes of up to one foot above and below normal tide levels, minor flooding in some beach and harbour areas, and strong and unusual currents in harbours, bays and nearshore waters.
Hazardous conditions could persist for several hours or longer, the advisory said.
Authorities have urged residents and visitors to stay out of the water and away from beaches, harbours and shorelines until the advisory is lifted.
Emergency officials stressed that a full-scale evacuation had not been ordered and advised the public to continue monitoring official updates and instructions.
The advisory covers Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, including Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
Officials said they would continue monitoring the situation and issue additional bulletins as more information becomes available.
