Tsunami not expected after earthquake near New Zealand

There is little threat of a tsunami hitting New Zealand after an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.0 struck the remote Kermadec Islands.

The earthquake occurred at 10:55 a.m. New Zealand time. New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency initially issued the beach and marine tsunami warning but said minutes later that the earthquake is "unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will pose a threat to NZ."

The agency had said that “if a tsunami has been generated it is not likely to arrive in New Zealand for at least 2 hours.”

There is no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the M7.0 Kermadec Islands region earthquake. Based on current information, the initial assessment is that the earthquake is unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will pose a threat to NZ. https://t.co/ccVFYQQoBr

— MCDEM (@NZcivildefence) June 15, 2019