A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 struck off the coast of northern Japan on Monday afternoon prompting immediate tsunami warnings for the prefecture of Iwate, Hokkaido and Aomori.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued the alert at approximately 4:53 p.m. local time following the tremor that occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers beneath the sea.
Residents in the affected coastal areas have been urged to evacuate to higher ground immediately. The JMA stated that a “tsunami as high as 3 meters” could reach the shoreline shortly.
On its emergency broadcast, NHK public television reinforced the urgency warning that waves “could hit the area shortly” and that people must not delay their evacuation.
The quake’s epicenter was located off the Sanriku Coast and the shaking was felt as far away as Tokyo.
While there are no immediate reports of major damage or injuries, officials are monitoring the sea levels closely. Maps from the weather agency currently show these northern regions in red indicating the highest level of alert.
