BREAKING NEWS: A 7.8 magnitude and a 7.3 magnitude earthquake have struck off the northwest of Santo, Vanuatu, and Pacific islands - including New Zealand - are on tsunami warnings of varying levels.

The quakes hit at 11.03 NZ time and 15 minutes later and the epicentres were located around 373 km north-northwest of Santo, Vanuatu, at a depth of 33 km, the US Geological Survey reports.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii has issued a tsunami warning in effect for Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Kiribati, Kosrae, Wallis-Futuna and Howland-Baker.

A tsunami watch, a lower level of alert, has been advised for both New Zealand and Australia as well as Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Indonesia. Any wave would reach New Zealand around 2.34pm.

New Zealand Civil Defence is urging all people to clear beaches in Northland and East Cape and if in boats, to get off the water. 

Civil Defence has advised all fire, police and local councils to be on standby.

Reporters in Samoa say they were initially unaware of the latest tsunami alert.

A Fairfax photographer in Samoa, just recovering from a devastating tsunami caused by a quake has said that people in Samoa are now making their way to high ground in fear of a repetition of the waves that struck last week.

Should a tsunami reach New Zealand, it will hit at the following times:
* North Cape _ 2.34pm
* East Cape _ 3.16pm
* Auckland (West) _ 3.33pm
* Gisborne 3.49pm
* New Plymouth 4.10pm
* Auckland (East) 4.14pm
* Napier 4.29pm
* Milford Sound  4.35pm
* Wellington 4.39pm
* Westport 4.50pm.

Off www.stuff.co.nz

its only a matter of time before we get some gnarly waves i reckon

Only an alert (ie 'watch' status) for NZ  not a warning as such.

ropo101 wrote: im finishing work early and hitting the beach in the yak...Could be fun , could be another non event??

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/messages/pacific/2009/pacific.2009.10.07.233404.txt

Interesting, they say "if on the water, get off it" yet surely the safest place to be would be well out in deeper water, as there the waves is just a long slow lift.... it is only dangerous and kicked up higher when it hits shallow waters.
Surely they'd be better off saying"If on the water, go deeper!" wouldn't they?

Not the flashest day, but once again all dole bludgers are encouraged to get down to their local beach for a FREE cone... Icecream cone that is!

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has confirmed a small tsunami was generated by a large earthquake off Vanuatu but has now cancelled warnings, saying the danger is likely to have passed.

I was in Rarotonga last week for the last one. Was pretty crazy, the lagoon was pulsing all day, sucking out a couple of metres then rushing back in. The water was murky as all day.


This is normally 2-3 foot of water at low tide.


Couple of minutes later


Harbour sucking out


Harbour fully sucked out


A few minutes later



Harbour sucked out (see how low the water is on the rocks in the background)



Water came back flush with the wharf. Luckily it was low tide when the biggest pulses hit.


Just talked to mates over there who said they were going for a swim just before I heard about the 2nd warnings  :?

Wow... Far out to above...