The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of New Zealand published a memo around 8:45 a.m. local time on Friday announcing an 8.0-magnitude earthquake has prompted additional tsunami warnings.
TSUNAMI WARNING: Areas that need to evacuate are indicated on this map. Evacuate these areas even if you did not feel the earthquake. DO NOT WAIT. A damaging tsunami is possible. More info at https://t.co/ccVFYQQoBr pic.twitter.com/bnEgZy8ikF
— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) March 4, 2021
The USGS registered the Kermadec Islands earthquake around magnitude 8.1.
The NEMA release urged those near the east coast of the North Island and Great Barrier Island to immediately move to "to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible."
A magnitude 8.1 #earthquake, the largest so far today, has occurred northeast of New Zealand, prompting a #tsunami threat.
— AccuWeather (@breakingweather) March 4, 2021
This includes a Tsunami Watch for Hawaii, according to the @NWS_PTWC pic.twitter.com/rZxffyoH6y
"This is the third earthquake this morning," New Zealand officials highlighted.
The first earthquake, which occurred around 2:27 a.m. local time on Friday, was estimated to be around magnitiude 7.3, while the latter quake registered around magnitude 7.4.
Just a few hours after the M7.3 earthquake off the N. island of New Zealand earlier, now there is a M7.4 quake 900 km to the north. Did the M7.3 trigger the M7.4? Maybe, but unlikely & hard to tell. Both though are related to subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the Aus plate pic.twitter.com/LhDXm72pKt
— Dr Stephen Hicks 🇪🇺 (@seismo_steve) March 4, 2021
"Hope everyone is ok out there - especially on the East Coast who would have felt the full force of that earthquake," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said via Instagram Friday morning.
