Pacific earthquake triggers tsunami warning for Lord Howe Island

A tsunami warning was triggered for Lord Howe Island on Friday by an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 that struck south-east of Loyalty Islands in the French territory of New Caledonia at 12.57pm.

People across the South Pacific were told to avoid coastal areas due to the risk of tsunami waves.

A tsunami warning was issued for Lord Howe Island.Credit: iStock

The earthquake caused a small tsunami to wash ashore on South Pacific islands. No damage has been reported, and the threat passed in a few hours.

Waves 60-centimetres above tide level were measured off Lenakel, a port town in Vanuatu, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said. Smaller waves were measured by coastal or deep-ocean gauges elsewhere off Vanuatu and off New Caledonia and New Zealand.

Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office advised people to evacuate from coastal areas to higher grounds. The office said people should listen to their radios for updates and take other precautions.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 37 kilometres.

About 8.30pm on Friday, the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) cancelled its tsunami warning for Lord Howe Island.

“The main tsunami waves have now passed all expected Lord Howe Island locations. Small unusual waves may continue but are no longer expected to be dangerous,” it said. “Tsunami warnings for Lord Howe Island are therefore cancelled.”

Earlier, the Bureau of Meteorology had said in a summary issued at 4.49pm that, for the marine environment of Lord Howe Island, there was the possibility of dangerous rips, waves and strong ocean currents and some localised overflow onto the immediate foreshore commencing on Friday afternoon and persisting for several hours.

Lord Howe Island is about 700 kilometres north-east of Sydney.

The NSW State Emergency Service had also issued an emergency warning for Lord Howe Island at 2.44pm on Friday, saying it might be affected by dangerous rips, waves and strong ocean currents.

It advised the public to avoid beaches, rock platforms and low-lying coastal areas.

“Boats in harbours, estuaries or shallow coastal water should return to shore and be secured. People should move away from the waterfront and obey all signs about beach and foreshore closures,” the SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said.

“At present there is no threat to mainland Australia, and the NSW SES is in constant communication with the Bureau of Meteorology and is monitoring the situation.”

Damien Ball of the Thompsons General Store on Lord Howe Island said, “We haven’t moved to higher ground and we’re probably not going to. We’ve been through this numerous times before and nothing ever comes of it.”

Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office advised people to evacuate from coastal areas to higher ground. The office said people should listen to their radios for updates and take other precautionary measures.

Reuters, AP, Stuff.co.nz

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