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Status: 05.03.2021 02:04 am
New Zealand has been rocked by several strong tremors. The strongest earthquake had a magnitude of 8.1 and occurred 800 kilometers from the coast. Meanwhile, tsunami warnings have been issued over much of the Pacific region.
Following the violent earthquake in New Zealand, authorities lowered the tsunami warning for much of the Pacific region. The civil defense announced that the biggest waves had ended, all the people previously taken to safety could return. However, one should stay away from the beaches and the sea.
Three major earthquakes had previously been recorded. The strongest earthquake had a magnitude of 8.1 and occurred near the Kermadec Islands, about 800 kilometers northeast of New Zealand’s North Island. Shortly after, another of magnitude 7.4 followed in the same region. Hours earlier there were 7.1 magnitude tremors about 100 kilometers off the coast of the Gisborne district.
Coastal residents in the affected areas were asked to move to safety and monitor the situation closely. The civil protection agency had appealed to residents of the Northland, East Cape and Great Barrier Island to move to higher regions or as far into the interior of the country as possible. Thousands are on the run, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported. The newspaper quoted a local resident: “I look at the beautiful calm sea and hope nothing comes out of it. We have to wait and see.”
Waves of one to three meters high are expected
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) early warning system warned of a possible tsunami. The experts expected waves from one to three meters high. The warning also applied to archipelagos such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. The Kermadec Islands, where the two strongest earthquakes occurred, are part of New Zealand but are hundreds of kilometers offshore. Initially, there was no information on possible damage or injury.
Tremors from that night’s first earthquake were reportedly felt throughout the region, including the major cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Nearly two hours later, 60,000 people reported to the local GeoNet monitoring system that they had felt the earthquake, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Memories of the Christchurch earthquakes
“I hope everyone is okay,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote on Instagram, “especially those on the East Coast who must have felt the full force of the earthquake.”
Last month, New Zealand thought about the victims of the Christchurch earthquake ten years ago. On February 22, 2011, 185 people died in the largest city on the South Island. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.2.
