All You Need To Know About Japan Tsunami Alert

A tsunami warning has been issued in parts of Japan as a powerful earthquake measuring 7.6 in magnitude hit the central part of the country. The tsunami warning was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency along the coastal regions of Toyama, Ishikawa, and Niigata prefectures.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, observed a tsunami of more than 1.2 meters on Monday following the major quake. The national broadcaster also urged residents in the region to evacuate immediately to higher ground. NHK also warned that torrents of water could reach as high as 5 meters (16.5 feet). Meanwhile, there are no reports of damage so far. According to the Associated Press, the Japan Meteorological Agency released major tsunami warnings for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu.

At the same time, South Korea’s meteorological agency informed that sea levels off its eastern province of Gangwon could rise after the earthquakes hit Japan. Power companies that operate nuclear plants in the region said they were closely monitoring for any irregularities. According to Japan’s Hokuriku Electric Power Company, more than 36,000 houses were experiencing power outages following the earthquakes.

Earlier in March 2011, the north-eastern coast of Japan witnessed a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake. A tsunami was also generated by the earthquake. According to Reuters, the earthquake and tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people on a stretch of Japan’s Pacific coast. More than 120,000 buildings were destroyed in this disaster.