A tsunami warning has been issued for parts of the South Pacific after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit just off the Solomon Islands early this morning.
“Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within the next three hours along some coasts of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, Tuvalu and Kosrae,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said.
The quake’s size means that it is currently tied for strongest earthquake of 2016, along with the contenders from Ecuador, New Zealand and Indonesia quakes.
If a #tsunami was generated from powerful Solomon Islands #earthquake, here are approximated travel times. – @NWS_NTWC pic.twitter.com/ZfbAZf90Ah
— Morgan Palmer (@MorganKIRO7) December 8, 2016
The Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed that there is currently no threat to the Australian mainland.
We’ll keep you posted.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: USGS.
