A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit central Japan today and a major tsunami warning has been issued for Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures with expectation of waves from the Sea of Japan to reach five meters.
A massive earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 hit central Japan on Monday, triggering a tsunami warning and advisories for residents to evacuate.
A tsunami around 1 metre high struck parts of the coast along the Sea of Japan with a larger wave expected, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued tsunami warnings for the coastal prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama.
Hokuriku Electric Power (9505.T) said it is checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, NHK reported.
A spokesperson for Kansai Electric Power (9503.T) said there were currently no abnormalities at its nuclear power plants but the company was monitoring the situation closely.
Warnings for sea-level rises have also been made in South Korea.
I’ll add more to this story as it develops.
Update #1:
Korea JoongAng Daily:
The Korean meteorology agency sent out a tsunami advisory at 4:35 p.m. on Monday after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 hit western Japan.
The Korea agency warned of possible tsunamis in coastal regions of Gangwon.
The Korean agency’s advisory came 20 minutes after the Japan Meteorological Agency reported the earthquake at 4: 10 p.m. at Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture.
Included in the tsunami warning zone are the Dokdo islets, which the Japanese government claims.
Update #2
The Japan Times:
Tsunami waves had already arrived in some areas.
The tsunami warning for Ishikawa, Niigata, Toyama and Yamagata prefectures urged people to quickly leave coastal areas, with over 1.2 meter waves reaching the Noto Peninsula’s Wajima Port in Ishikawa at around 4:21 p.m., NHK reported.
People experiencing tsunami of over 1 meter are considered “highly likely to be unable to stand, with possibility of death,” according to the Meteorological Agency.
Since the initial waves hit, the height of tsunami at Wajima Port had been increasing, although the exact measurements had yet to be determined, NHK reported. [...]
The tsunami warnings were punctuated by several aftershocks across the Noto Peninsula following the largest initial quake, recorded as magnitude 7.6, according to the Meteorological Agency.
Seven earthquakes registering magnitude 5.0 or above had been recorded within the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture or off the coast of the Noto Peninsula by the agency as of 5:40 p.m., and nine across all of Japan. [...]
The tsunami was expected to reach Fukui, Hyogo, Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Kyoto and Tottori prefectures on the Sea of Japan side, as well as the Oki Islands, which are part of Shimane Prefecture.