Japan issues tsunami warning after magnitude 7.6 earthquake

The news: Japan’s Meteorological Agency has warned that tsunami waves as high as three metres could hit parts of the country’s northeastern coast after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck offshore late Monday.

The numbers: The agency issued a tsunami warning for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate after the quake occurred at 11:15 pm local time.

According to the JMA, the epicentre was located 80 km off the coast of Aomori at a depth of 50 km. The quake was initially reported as magnitude 7.2 but later revised to 7.6. The tremor was strong enough to register an upper 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in parts of Aomori and according to local press, it was also felt in central Tokyo.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake struck about 70 km off the coast at a depth of around 53 kilometres.