Japan earthquake: Rare tsunami warning issued after massive 6.8 magnitude tremor | World | News

A strong 6.8 magnitude struck near the city of Miyazaki in Japan on Monday, January 13. 

Following the earthquake in the Miyazaki prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami advisory for both the Kochi and Miyazaki prefectures, with residents warned about the danger of heights of about one meter.

In a post on social media, the JMA said: “Tsunami can strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or go near coastal areas.”

The agency said that on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7, the tremor had an intensity of lower 5.

The earthquake occurred at around 9.19pm local time, ABC News reports. 

Japanese officials said the epicentre was offshore, at a depth of around 19 miles.

A 20-centimetre tsunami was later recorded reaching Miyazaki city, with fears over the two nuclear power plants in Sendai and Ikata, which are nearest to where the quake occurred.

Kyushu Electric Power later confirmed that the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture is operating normally, with no abnormalities reported in Units 1 and 2, and radiation levels remaining stable.

Shikoku Electric Power also said Unit 3 of the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant in Ehime Prefecture had been unaffected, and said there had been no change in radiation monitoring data, The Sun reported.

It’s unclear what damage has been caused by the quake more broadly, and authorities say they are closely monitoring the situation.

Radio messages have been sent out by local authorities urging caution in coastal areas.

Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said “there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake” for the United States. 

Japan is among the most earthquake-prone countries globally, due to it sitting across four converging tectonic plates that grind together, constantly, Nature explains.

The country sees some 1,500 earthquakes annually, although most are too mild to be felt.

Japan saw its largest earthquake ever recorded in 2011, a magnitude-9.1 quake that struck the Tohoku region and caused a huge tsunami.