5-Metre High Waves Hit Japan After Strong Quake Triggers Tsunami, Evacuation Underway

The tremors prompted a warning from Japanese officials who asked residents to move to higher areas and leave the coastal regions.

First tsunami waves hit Japan triggered by 7.4 magnitude earthquake. ( Image Source :Getty )

First tsunami waves have hit Japan after a major earthquake measuring 7.6 hit the country, reported AFP citing meteorological agency.  Earlier, a tsunami warning was issued after a powerful tremor of magnitude 7.6 on the Japanese scale rocked central Japan on New Year's Day, according to NHK. Officials have urged people to quickly leave coastal areas, with waves of up to 5 meters predicted, NHK reported, quoted the Japantimes.

The tremors were felt in Tokyo and across the Kanto area. According to AFP, Japanese officials have asked people to move to higher ground. Meanwhile, as per AFP, the Japanese government has said that no abnormalities has been reported in nuclear plants after the earthquake.

a 7.6 is absolutely no joke -- it's just about as strong as the 1906 sf earthquake, which was the deadliest earthquake in the entire us history. hoping for the absolute best for everyone in japan https://t.co/C0iQqsy4uV

— wells santo (y'all islamophobic af) (@WellsLucasSanto) January 1, 2024

According to Japantimes, tsunami with waves reaching up to 3 metres were issued across the Sea of Japan coast all the way from Hokkaido to Nagasaki. The report said several aftershocks followed the initial jolt of magnitude of 74. It​​ struck the Noto Peninsula, with waves predicted to reach as high as 5 meters. 

The Noto area experienced seven earthquakes, while 11 had been registered across all of Japan as of 5 pm, the report added. At around 4:35 pm, waves of 80 cm reached Toyama Prefecture and waves of 40 meters also reached Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture. The warning said tsunami may hit Yamagata and Hyogo prefectures.

Footage shows the moment a massive earthquake struck in Western Japan pic.twitter.com/mj4iFSLovN

— Ｎｅｒｄｙ 🅰🅳🅳🅸🅲🆃 (@Nerdy_Addict) January 1, 2024

The Janapntimes stated the tsunami alert issued in the Noto Peninsula area was the top-level alert out of three warnings and was equal to one issued after the March 2011 quake in the Tohoku region.

Around 33,500 households are without power after Japan quakes, reports say, as per AFP. Several major highways are closed around the epicentre of a series of major earthquakes in central Japan, the road operator says, AFP added.