Strong magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes northern Japan
11:15AM AEST: A TSUNAMI warning issued following a powerful earthquake off the coast of Japan has been cancelled.
According to the Japanese meteorological agency, the quake struck off the Fukushima coast at a depth of 25 kilometres around 5:59am local time.
The U.S. Geological Survey rated the quake as a magnitude 6.9, however, the Japanese agency said the quake measured 7.4 on Richter scale.
The strong tremor triggered a tsunami warning, with waves of 1.4m observed hitting the coast. The warning has since been cancelled and no major damage or injury has been reported.
8:50AM AEST: A POWERFUL earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan has triggered a tsunami.
The first waves have already been observed along Japan’s northeast coast, with a two-foot rise detected at Onahama Port in Fukushima, and a three-foot tsunami recorded at Soma.
The quake – which initially measureed 7.3 on the Richter scale – has since been downgraded to a magnitude 6.9. It struck offshore of Iwaki around 5:59am local time. A tsunami warning is still in effect.
8:15AM AEST: THERE have been no immediate reports of significant damage following the powerful earthquake off the coast of northern Japan. Scroll down for live video.
A tsunami warning remains in effect for the Fukushima coast, with destructive waves of three metres possible.
The first tsunami waves have already been observed, with a 60 centimetre rise in the water recorded along parts of coast at 6:49am local time. A higher 90 centimetre tsunami was recorded at 7:06am local time.
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BREAKING: A POWERFUL magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck off the coast of northern Japan.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was shallow, striking at a depth of just 10 kilometres some 67 kilometres northeast of Iwaki around 5:59am local time.
A tsunami warning is in effect. Destructive waves of three metres are expected, with Fukushima under direct threat. As a result, people along the coast are being warned to evacuate immediately.
BREAKING: Tsunami warning issued after preliminary Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes off coast of Fukushima, Japan. More details to come pic.twitter.com/0NCIPOiaSz
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) November 21, 2016
//BREAKING #Japan #Earthquake #japanearhquake
Earthquake w/ magn of 7.3 at the coast of Fukushima (Local time: 6 am) pic.twitter.com/QkywwpfmqR— Pieterjan De Coninck (@Pieterjan95) November 21, 2016
powerful #earthquake (#地震) shakes Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan 20 min ago. Witnesses’s reports: pic.twitter.com/2cYZ2k7lSz
— EMSC (@LastQuake) November 21, 2016
MORE TO COME …
