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A tsunami warning has been issued for Australia’s Lord Howe Island after a 7.7 magnitude undersea earthquake struck southeast of New Caledonia.
Geoscience Australia reported the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck at 1pm south east of the Loyalty Islands which includes New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a tsunami warning for Lord Howe Island, a popular holiday destination east of Australia with 300 residents.
“So far, a 22-centimetre tsunami wave has been observed near New Caledonia,” the BoM said.
“A tsunami warning for the marine environment is current for Lorde Howe island with an expected arrival time of 4:15pm local time (3:45pm AEST).
“There is no land threat to the Australian mainland or Australian territories.”
The bureau also warned of the tsunami generating dangerous rips, waves and currents, as well as small localised flooding near the shore.
“While evacuations are not necessary for Marine Threat areas, people in these areas are advised to get out of the water and move away from the immediate water’s edge,” the bureau said, adding that “tsunami waves are more powerful than the same size beach waves”.
“There will be many waves and the first wave may not be the largest.”
The US Tsunami Warning System said tsunami waves could reach between one to three metres above tide level in Vanuatu.
Waves could reach up to one metre above tide level in New Caledonia, Fiji and New Zealand, the authority added.
