Japan Issues Tsunami Warnings for Northeast Coast After Earthquake
Evacuations underway as 3-metre waves expected; fishing vessels flee ports
Quick Look
- Japan's Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures after an earthquake struck at 4.53pm, with waves up to three metres expected.
- Live footage showed fishing boats leaving ports while broadcasters urged low-lying area residents to evacuate.
- A professor in Hokkaido described the tremor as the closest he's experienced to the devastating 2011 earthquake.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
This earthquake and tsunami warning comes over a decade after the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people in Japan. The 2011 disaster caused the Fukushima nuclear meltdown and remains one of the worst natural disasters in Japan's history.
Live television footage showed fishing boats and coastal vessels leaving ports along Japan's northeast coast to avoid incoming waves, while broadcasters urged people in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately to safer ground. In Hokkaido, Makoto Watanabe, a professor of communications and media at Hokkaido Bunkyo University, said the tremor brought back memories of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. "I was teaching a class when it happened and it really shook the building," he said. "And the shaking went on for what seemed an unusually long time. It was not as bad as 2011, but it was probably the closest to that I've experienced." He said people in coastal areas appeared to have moved quickly to evacuation sites, though the rush had also caused heavy traffic in some places. In Tomakomai, one designated evacuation park became so congested that police were redirecting drivers to another site. Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures, with waves of up to three metres (10 feet) expected after the quake struck at 4.53pm (3.53pm Hong Kong time).
Open Questions
- What was the exact magnitude of the earthquake?
- Were there any injuries or casualties reported?
- What was the actual wave height when the tsunami arrived?
