Tsunami confirmed after 7.7-magnitude quake in South Pacific: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

New Delhi: A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck in the South Pacific has generated a tsunami, the Australian weather agency said on Thursday. “Tsunami confirmed,” the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said in a tweet, as it warned of a threat to Lord Howe Island, which is about 550 kilometres (340 miles) east of Australia’s mainland.

A wave of 0.3 metres struck Fiji, according to the Twitter feed of the island nation’s seismology department. It provided no further details. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology also confirmed in a tweet that a tsunami had been generated. The bureau warned of a threat to Lord Howe Island, which is about 550 kilometres (340 miles) east of Australia’s mainland.

The New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency released a statement telling people in coastal areas to move away from waterfronts. “We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake,” the disaster agency said.