More countries issue tsunami warnings after earthquake

Tsunami warnings have been issued for countries including Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia and even Hawaii after an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale rocked Japan’s north-eastern coast today.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii later widened its tsunami warning to include Hawaii and the rest of the Pacific Ocean.

It said the estimated earliest arrival in Hawaii of the first tsunami wave is 2.59am Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (12.59pm Irish time).

The warning also includes Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Central and South America. The coast of North America is not included in the warning.

At least two people have died in the Tokyo area.

It is not yet known if any Irish people have been caught up in the quake.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is in contact with the Irish Embassy in Japan.

The quake struck at 2.46pm local time and was followed by five powerful aftershocks within about an hour, the strongest measuring 7.1.

The US Geological Survey upgraded the strength of the first quake to a magnitude 8.9, while Japan’s meteorological agency measured it at 8.4.

The meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for the entire Pacific coast of Japan. NHK was warning those near the coast to get to safer ground.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said a tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas.

A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the US state of Hawaii.

The quake struck at a depth of six miles (10km), about 80 miles (125km) off the eastern coast, the agency said. The area is 240 miles (380km) north-east of Tokyo.