Earthquake cluster: Tsunami threat sparks evacuation in parts of Northland

Friday, 5 March 2021

Residents across the east coast of Northland evacuate to higher ground after a tsunami alert across the country following three large earthquakes on Friday.

A magnitude 8.1 earthquake off the coast of New Zealand has triggered a tsunami warning for coastal parts of New Zealand.

The earthquake struck near the Kermadec Islands at 8.28am, with people in certain eastern areas of the North Island told to go immediately to high ground.

It followed two smaller quakes. A 7.4 magnitude quake hit near the Kermadec Islands about 6.40am, at a depth of about 56km.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck at 2.27am. It struck 105km to the east of Te Araroa. An earlier tsunami warning was also issued for the east coast of the North Island following this quake.

**READ MORE:

There were more than 50,000 felt reports in the minutes following the quake.

* Earthquake cluster and tsunami warnings: What you need to know

* Earthquake cluster: Tsunami threat forces evacuation in parts of Northland

* No one on Kermadec Islands during earthquakes and tsunami warning

The “severe” earthquake was felt by more that 50,000 people, according to Geonet reports.

The vast majority of felt reports classified the quake as weak or moderate in strength.

Wellington man Wilson Chau said the rolling earthquake lasted “a good 30-ish seconds”.

Christchurch-based Bonnie Brown said the earthquake felt very different to the Canterbury quakes.

It was a long, slow, rolling earthquake, she said.

“My windows were making noise and my third-storey bedroom was rocking and rolling.

“It went for what felt was a long time.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has sent wishes to those affected by the earthquake.

“Hope everyone is OK out there – especially on the East Coast who would have felt the full force of that earthquake,” she said.

The message posted on Facebook and Instagram was accompanied by a map showing the earthquake’s “felt reports”.