Japan’s meteorological agency issues tsunami advisory after a strong earthquake

Monday, December 23

An electronic signboard displays the Jyoetsu bullet train operation suspended, which connect Tokyo and Niigata city, following a strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake on the northwest of Japan, at Tokyo train stationon on late June 18, 2019. - Japan issued a tsunami advisory on June 18 after a strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit the northwest of the country. A wave of one metre (three feet) is expected to hit the coast of the Sea of Japan, north of Tokyo, the nation's meteorological agency said. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT

Tokyo, March 20 (04:1 PM PKT) (AFP/APP): Japan’s meteorological agency issued a tsunami advisory on Saturday, after a strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast.

The quake hit at 6:09 pm (0909 GMT) in Pacific waters off Miyagi region with a depth of 60 kilometres (37 miles), the JMA said, issuing an advisory for tsunami waves of around one metre. There was no immediate reports of damage from Miyagi, and local utilities were inspecting the status of the region’s nuclear plants, according to local media.

The US Geological Service put the strength of the quake at 7.0-magnitude. The quake and tsunami advisory come not long after Japan marked 10 years since the catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake of March 11, 2011, that triggered a killer tsunami and the Fukushima meltdown.

The so-called triple disaster affected Japan’s northeast, including Miyagi. Last month, the region was also shaken by another strong quake that injured dozens. Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.