7.5 earthquake off New Caledonia

Shallow 7.5-quake strikes off coast of New Caledonia

Radio NZ,

5 December, 2018

Tsunami warnings have been issued for New Caled

Photo: 123rf

The undersea quake was only a shallow 10 km deep and about 155 km east-southeast of the Loyalty Islands off New Caledonia's east coast. The United States Geological Survey has recorded the shake as a magnitude 7.5.

Civil Defence said there was no tsunami threat to New Zealand.

"Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 1000 km of the epicenter along the coasts of Vanuatu and New Caledonia," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

It said the waves could be as high as 3m above sea level in New Caledonia and Vanuatu, and up to 1m above the tide level in Fiji.

- Reuters / RNZ