In the South Pacific, there has been an earthquake of magnitude 7.7. An initial tsunami warning was lifted a few hours later. New Zealand, however, fears repercussions.
Nouméa – An earthquake struck near the New Caledonia archipelago in the South Pacific on Friday, May 19. The U.S. Earthquake Observatory USGS put the magnitude of the quake at 7.7. At a depth of 37 kilometers, the earth was shaken. The triggered waves are likely to be felt as far as New Zealand, it said.
Earthquake in the South Pacific: After warning of meter-high tsunami – authority downgrades danger
According to recent data, the quake, which occurred a day after the earthquake on the Greek island of Crete, shook an area southeast of the Loyalty Islands. They are part of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia and are located 1500 kilometers east of Australia and north of New Zealand.
The early warning system in the United States issued a tsunami warning for the surrounding islands after the quake - including New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. After initially talking about waves possibly up to three meters high in Vanuatu, the authority later put the information into perspective. She only expected waves of a maximum height of one meter in Vanuatu and 0.3 meters in other Pacific states, including Fiji. A few hours after the quake in the South Pacific, the early warning system in the USA completely lifted its tsunami warning.
- Warnings after earthquakes in the South Pacific:
- Vanuatu and other Pacific islands (including Fiji): Tsunami warning lifted
- New Zealand: strong and unusual currents and unpredictable tides on the coast
- Australia and Hawaii: no impact expected
According to USGS data, however, there were numerous aftershocks in the region with magnitudes of up to 5.9.
After earthquake in the South Pacific: New Zealand's emergency authority warns of strong currents
The authorities in Vanuatu had advised the inhabitants of the entire archipelago to take immediate precautions and move from coastal areas to higher regions. In New Caledonia, too, people were asked to leave coastal areas.
New Caledonia is located about 1500 kilometers east of Australia and north of New Zealand. There was an earthquake near the archipelago. © agefotostock/Imago
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The emergency agency in New Zealand tweeted that it was closely monitoring the situation. "We anticipate that there will be strong and unusual currents and unpredictable coastal tides in New Zealand's coastal areas," it said. The warning persists even after the tsunami warning has been lifted, according to the New Zealand site on Twitter. There is no threat to Australia, the local meteorological authority said.
The Hawaii Emergency Response Agency also gave the all-clear. "No tsunami threat to Hawaii is expected from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake," tweeted the Hawaiian agency EMA. Even after the earthquake in Turkey in February, there had been tsunami warnings – as far away as Italy. On the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, however, mysterious tremors lead to the question: earthquake or explosion? (chd/dpa)