A tsunami activity advisory has been issued in New Zealand after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck near the Loyalty Islands, the country’s National Emergency Management Agency said on Wednesday.
“We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore,” the agency said in a statement.
Multiple areas in the north of New Zealand’s North Island have been deemed under threat and the public has been ordered to stay away from beaches and shore areas.
People do not need to evacuate other areas, unless advised by local officials, and land flooding near the coast is not expected, the National Emergency Management Agency added.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that waves of up to a meter above tide level may also hit the coasts of Fiji and of Vanuatu, while Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said there was a risk of tsunami "to offshore Australian islands and territories".
The warnings come after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck southwest of the Loyalty Islands, which are part of the French territory of New Caledonia.
The quake was reported at 13:20 UTC, according to the US Tsunami Warning System, with the epicenter at a depth of 21 miles (33 kilometers) below sea level...
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magnitude Mw 7.7
Region SOUTHEAST OF LOYALTY ISLANDS
Date time 2021-02-10 13:19:59.6 UTC
Location 23.25 S ; 171.49 E
Depth 10 km
Distances:
528 km E of Nouméa, New Caledonia / pop: 93,000 / local time: 00:19:59.6 2021-02-11
417 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia / pop: 7,400 / local time: 00:19:59.6 2021-02-11
The National Weather Service (NWS) Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 0.3 to 1 metre above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu.
ReplyDeleteThe New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency released a statement telling people in coastal areas to move away from waterfronts.
“We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore,” the disaster management agency said. “People in or near the sea in the following areas should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, rivers and estuaries.”
The affected areas included the far north of New Zealand’s north island, the Great Barrier Island east of Auckland and a stretch of coast along the country’s east.
A wave of 0.3 metres struck Fiji, according to the Twitter feed of the island nation’s seismology department. It provided no further details.
La Nouvelle-Zélande et l'Australie ont déclenché une alerte au tsunami après le violent séisme de magnitude 7,7 qui s'est produit mercredi dans le Pacifique, mais pas la France pour l'instant, le séisme ayant été "très peu ressenti" sur les îles Loyauté et en Nouvelle-Calédonie.
ReplyDeleteL'épicentre du séisme a été localisé à environ 400 kilomètres au sud-est de l'archipel des îles Loyauté, et à environ 430 kilomètres du Vanuatu, a indiqué l'Institut de géophysique américain (USGS).
DeleteLe tremblement de terre a aussitôt déclenché une alerte au tsunami de la part du Centre d'alerte aux tsunamis du Pacifique.
"Des vagues dangereuses provoquées par ce séisme sont possibles dans les trois prochaines heures", a-t-il prévenu, précisant que des vagues de 30 centimètres et un mètre pourraient atteindre certaines côtes de Fiji, Nouvelle-Zélande et Vanuatu.
Peu après, les autorités australiennes et néo-zélandaises lui ont emboîté le pas.
"Le tsunami est confirmé", a twitté le service australien de météorologie, alertant des dangers pour l'île Lord Howe, située à près de 550 kilomètres à l'est de l'Australie.
Pour sa part, l'agence néo-zélandaise de gestion des situations d'urgence a également lancé un avertissement à la population pour les côtes septentrionales de l'Ile du Nord.