After a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan, the country's meteorological agency warned that tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) could hit the area.
While tsunami warnings were issued for Iwate and Aomori to the north and southeastern Hokkaido, a tsunami wave of 80-centimetre (31-inch) hit a port in northern Japan.
The tsunami wave was observed at 5:34 pm (local time) at the Kuji port in the Iwate prefecture, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA). JMA earlier said a 70-centimetre wave had struck at 5:32 pm, AFP reported. A smaller tsunami of 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was also recorded at another port in the prefecture, the agency said.
The JMA had also issued a milder tsunami advisory for the coasts of Miyagi and Fukushima, south of the epicenter of the earthquake, the Associated Press reported.
Powerful quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan
The powerful earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 on the richter scale, occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan at around 4:53 pm (0753 GMT). The quake took place at a depth of 0 kilometers (6 miles) below the water surface in the Pacific Ocean, according to JMA.
The quake prompted tsunami warnings across coastal regions, with officials warning of waves as high as 3 metres reaching parts of Iwate Prefecture and Hokkaido.
{{/usCountry}}The quake prompted tsunami warnings across coastal regions, with officials warning of waves as high as 3 metres reaching parts of Iwate Prefecture and Hokkaido.
{{/usCountry}}Residents were urged to evacuate and move to higher grounds. Emergency services and personnel were also placed on alert as officials assessed the potential damage from the quake, and monitored the evolving situation.
Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had constituted an emergency task force, and urged citizens to move to safer areas. Japanese broadcaster NHK aired visuals showing ships sailing out of Hachinohe port in Hokkaido, with an alert 'Tsunami! Evacuate!' flashing on the screen.
Bullet train services affected
Bullet train services were temporarily halted in Aomori, located at the northern tip of Japan's main Honshu island, amid the tremors caused by the quake, AP cited Kyodo news agency as reporting.
The quake measured an 'upper 5' on Japan's seismic intensity scale – making it strong enough to cause difficulties for people in moving around. Japan's location in the ‘Ring of Fire’ of volcanoes and oceanic trenches, which partly encircles the Pacific Basin, makes it one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.
A tremor occurs in Japan every five minutes, with the country accounting for nearly 20% of the world's earthquakes with magnitude of 6.0 and more, according to the AP report.