Tsunami Alert Centre

Strong earthquake strikes off California, tsunami warning cancelled

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the US West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the temblor struck and covered nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California's Monterey Bay north into Oregon. It was a strong quake, our building shook, we're fine but I have a mess to clean up right now, said Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed wit

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024: History, significance, theme and more

World Tsunami Awareness Day is celebrated every year on November 5 to boost people's understanding of the harmful effects of tsunamis and the safety measures during tsunamis

Indonesia under tsunami alert as country witnesses big volcanic eruptions

Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami alert Wednesday after eruptions at Ruang mountain sent ash thousands of feet high. Officials ordered more than 11,000 people to leave the area. The volcano on the northern side of Sulawesi island had at least five large eruptions in the past 24 hours, Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said. Authorities raised their volcano alert to its highest level. At least 800 residents left the area earlier Wednesday. Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it sits along the Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean. Authorities urged tourists and others to stay at least 6 km (3.7 miles) from the 725-metre (2,378 foot) Ruang volcano. Officials worry that part of the volcano could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami as in a 1871 eruption there. Tagulandang island to the volcano's northeast is

Amid Tsunami threat, Japan issues evacuation advisory for coastal areas

The tsunami threat from a strong earthquake that struck Taiwan has largely passed. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its forecast from 3 metres (9.8 feet) to 1 metre (3.3 feet). One island had a wave of about 30 centimetres (a foot), while smaller waves were detected in other islands. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there has been no report of injury or damage in Japan. He urged the residents in the Okinawa region to stay on safe ground until all tsunami advisories were lifted. China issued no warnings for the Chinese mainland, and there was no threat for Hawaii and Guam. More than two hours after the 7.4 magnitude quake struck Taiwan, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the threat of a tsunami has largely passed. The quake damaged buildings on Taiwan but casualty information was not yet available.

Strong quake hits Taiwan, buildings collapse; Japan issues tsunami alert

A powerful earthquake struck off Taiwan early Wednesday, rocking the entire island and collapsing buildings. Japan issued a tsunami alert for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa. Japan's meteorological agency forecast a tsunami of up to 3 metres (9.8 feet). Taiwan's earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.2 while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.5. Television showed buildings in the eastern city of Hualien shaken off their foundations. The quake came at 7:58 am and could be felt in the capital Taipei.

Tsunami hits Japan after 7.5 magnitude quake, India issues helpline numbers

Japan earthquake update: According to media reports, a tsunami of 1.2 metres was confirmed to have hit Wajima city in Ishikawa prefecture

China building tsunami alert centre in South China Sea

The project has received United Nations approval