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Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) possible for Vanuatu.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean southeast of New Caledonia and triggered a tsunami warning, US regulatory agencies say.
The earthquake was detected at a depth of 37 km (23 mi), the U.S. Geological Survey said Friday.
“Based on preliminary earthquake parameters, dangerous tsunami waves are possible for coasts within 1,000 km (620 mi) of the earthquake’s epicenter,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said in a bulletin.
It urged people in endangered coastal areas to be alert.
The PTWC said waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) above tides were possible for Vanuatu.
Smaller waves were possible for Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and New Zealand.
The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department said an earthquake of such magnitude had the potential to create “destructive tsunami waves” of 1-3 meters (3-10 feet) that could hit Vanuatu’s coastlines.
The National Disaster Management Office advised people to “take appropriate action and precautions, including “immediate evacuation from coastal areas to higher ground,” according to an information bulletin on the department’s website.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat for mainland Australia, but Lord Howe Island – located 780 km (421 nautical miles) northeast of Sydney in the Tasman Sea – was under a threat warning.
#LordHoweIsland below #tsunami Marine environment warning after magnitude 7.7 #earthquake near southeastern Loyalty Islands. No threat to mainland Australia. Tsunami wave of 8 cm observed in New Caledonia. Latest info here: https://t.co/Tynv3ZQpEq. pic.twitter.com/nvK3yXbDXx
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) May 19, 2023
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said it was still assessing the possibility of a tsunami.
More coming soon.