(CNN) — A three-meter (9.8-foot) tsunami warning has been issued for Japan after a strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency and the US Geological Survey.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a three-meter tsunami warning for the Iwate prefecture and parts of Hokkaido and Aomori. In other areas of northeastern Japan, it issued an advisory, estimating a tsunami of up to one meter (3.3 feet).
The US Tsunami Warning System reported that the magnitude of the earthquake off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, was 7.4. The tsunami threat was issued at 8:52 UTC (4:52 a.m. ET). Japan’s national agency revised its figure up to 7.5 magnitude, although it’s unclear why there is a discrepancy in the numbers.
So far, observations of tsunami waves are all well below the warning level that was issued. One 0.8-meter (2.6-foot) tsunami has struck Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, where Japan’s national broadcaster NHK has reported the water is still rising. Another 0.4-meter (1.3-foot) tsunami hit Miyako Port in Iwate Prefecture.
CNN’s producer on the ground in Tokyo reported feeling the building they were in shake for about seven minutes.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has urged residents in affected areas to evacuate immediately and said the government had set up an emergency task force.
“Residents in areas where tsunami warnings have been issued should immediately evacuate to higher ground or safer locations such as evacuation buildings,” Takaichi told reporters in a news briefing on Monday.
Authorities are doing their “utmost to assess the damage, implement emergency disaster response measures such as search and rescue operations, and provide timely and accurate information to the public,” Takaichi said. “At this time, we are still confirming the extent of human and material damage, but we will receive detailed reports shortly and proceed with disaster response efforts.”
The operator of the bullet train service that runs between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori station said the train had been suspended due to a power outage caused by the earthquake, NHK reported. Train services have also been suspended between Akita Station and Morioka Station in northern Japan. All local trains in Iwate prefecture have halted services, according to NHK.
Tokyo Electric Power Company said in a statement that no abnormalities have been detected at its Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants, although it has evacuated workers. The company also said that its Onagawa nuclear plant and Higashidori nuclear plant further north have also not experienced abnormalities, with radioactive material levels still within normal range.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. It lies on the Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The worst quake in recent Japanese history was the 9.1-magnitude Tohoku earthquake in 2011, which triggered a major tsunami and nuclear disaster.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
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