80-cm Tsunami after 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Japan; warning issued

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck northeastern and northern Japan on Monday, with a tsunami warning issued, the country's weather agency said.

Tokyo: A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck northeastern and northern Japan on Monday, with a tsunami warning issued, the country's weather agency said.

Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture recorded an 80-cm wave, reported Xinhua news agency.

The 4:53 p.m. quake registered an upper-5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 and occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, as cited by state media Kyodo.

"Notable quake, preliminary info: M 7.4 - 100 km ENE of Miyako, Japan," the USGS said. The earthquake's magnitude was initially estimated at 7.4 but was later revised upward.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of quakes of a similar scale for a week, Kyodo reported.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that the quake struck at a depth of 10 km.

The Japanese weather agency issued tsunami warnings for the Pacific coasts of Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, forecasting tsunami waves of up to 3 meters to arrive immediately.

“At Aomori’s Hachinohe Port, a 30-cm tsunami was observed, while the town of Erimo in Hokkaido saw a 20-cm tsunami. Thousands of residents along the coastal areas were being ordered to evacuate,” reported The Japan Times.

The newspaper also mentioned that “At Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, an 80-centimetre tsunami was observed, while Miyako Port, also in Iwate, saw a 40-cm tsunami, with more waves expected. Waves were also forecast to arrive at other locations across a wide swath of the prefecture’s coast."

No abnormalities were reported at the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear plants in Aomori and Miyagi prefectures or at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, according to their operators, as per the Kyodo news agency.

Addressing reporters at her office, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged people in quake-affected areas to evacuate to higher ground.

JR East said it has suspended services of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations.

(with agencies input)