January 1, 2024, 2:50 am ET
January 1, 2024, 2:50 a.m. ETT. Tsunami warnings were issued for the island of Sado in Japan, among others. Photo credit: Shiho Fukada for The New York Times
A strong earthquake struck the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan around 4:10 p.m. on Monday, triggering multiple tsunami warnings and evacuation orders in several prefectures.
The quake had a magnitude of 7.6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.5.
Japanese authorities issued a severe tsunami warning for the Noto Peninsula on the Sea of Japan and ordered residents to immediately move to higher ground. The agency warned that there could be waves as high as five meters, or 16 feet, in Noto and up to three meters on the coasts of Sado Island and in prefectures such as Niigata and Toyama.
The government later expanded its warnings and advisories along Japan's west coast, from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south. Multiple aftershocks continued to shake the western region of Japan.
As of 5:15 p.m., the highest tsunami waves detected were 1.2 meters in Ishikawa Prefecture, officials said.
In a briefing with reporters on Monday evening, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's top cabinet secretary, said no abnormalities had been found at nuclear power plants in earthquake-hit areas.
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