Tsunami warning issued after powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan

A powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and urgent evacuation calls as authorities warned of waves reaching up to 3 metres (9.84 ft), reported Reuters. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake originated in the Pacific Ocean at a shallow depth of around 10 km. Officials said the strongest tsunami impact was expected along the coastal prefectures of Iwate, Aomori, and Hokkaido.


Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the formation of an emergency response task force and urged residents in vulnerable coastal zones to move immediately to higher ground. "Stay away from the shoreline and follow evacuation orders," authorities warned as reported by the news agency.


According to Reuters, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK showed scenes of vessels leaving Hachinohe port in Hokkaido as precautionary alerts flashed across screens reading "Tsunami! Evacuate!"


Train operations were also disrupted, with bullet train services suspended in parts of Aomori due to strong shaking, according to Kyodo News.

According to SKY News, Japan’s Meteorological Agency has updated its assessment of the earthquake, revising its magnitude to 7.5 after earlier reports estimated it at 7.3. Meanwhile, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recorded the quake at a slightly lower magnitude of 7.4, reflecting differences in early seismic readings between agencies.

The initial figure released in Japan was later adjusted as more data from monitoring stations was analyzed, leading to the higher revised magnitude.

The quake registered an 'upper 5' on Japan’s seismic intensity scale - strong enough to make standing and movement difficult and capable of causing damage to weaker structures such as unreinforced concrete walls.