Tsunami Confirmed After 7.7-Magnitude Quake in South Pacific, Australian Weather Agency Says

Earlier on Wednesday, a 7.7-magnitude quake rocked Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean.

A tsunami threat has been issued for Lord Howe Island, which is about 550 km east of Australia's mainland, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said. 

TSUNAMI CONFIRMED. Observation - Norfolk Is at 2:15am AEDT. MARINE THREAT warning for LORD HOWE ISLAND. Issued by JATWC 3:01 AM AEDT Thu 11 Feb 2021. Tsunami affecting marine area commencing after 2:45 am AEDT Thu, persisting for several hours Warnings at: https://t.co/cuhd1HTN87 pic.twitter.com/KtL1fMMoyh

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) February 10, 2021

Earlier in the day, a tsunami warning was issued for New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and some other nations in the South Pacific following a 7.7-magnitude quake that struck east of Vao in New Caledonia at a depth of 10 km.

"We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake," the disaster agency said.​