Is the tsunami warning in New Zealand still in effect?
A tsunami warning which put Australia’s east coast on red alert tonight proves the country is well protected against major natural disasters, experts say. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said Tasmania, Victoria and NSW were under real danger of being swamped by powerful waves on Wednesday night following a major undersea earthquake off the New Zealand coast at 7.22pm (AEST). Coastguards, police and fire services were all put on red alert as the potential danger to low-lying and coastal areas was assessed. However, warnings were later scaled back to the lesser “marine” version, with people being urged to stay out of the water and away from low-lying areas until tomorrow morning. Sources: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25788929-29277,00.
July 16 (Bloomberg) — New Zealand was spared a destructive tsunami after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck off its South Island, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. A tsunami warning issued by the center was in effect for about 2 1/2 hours after the quake hit at 9:22 p.m. New Zealand time yesterday, with the residents of Auckland and Wellington advised of a possible threat, according to e-mailed alerts. No other countries in the Pacific were affected. The quake was followed by a magnitude-5.8 aftershock 19 minutes later. Sources: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?
