Japan’s broadcaster reports that the first tsunami waves has already hit the shores after earthquake

On January 1, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck central Japan, leading to the issuance of tsunami warnings by Japanese officials. The earthquake’s epicenter was reported in the Noto region of Ishikawa prefecture at around 4:10 pm (0710 GMT). Japan’s national broadcaster NHK promptly issued an official alert, urging residents to evacuate immediately to higher ground.

NHK reported that tsunami waves had already reached Japanese shores, with a 5-meter tsunami hitting Noto. Other regions, including Niigata, Sado Island, and Toyama, experienced waves measuring 3 meters in height. Warnings for additional areas anticipated tsunami waves reaching up to 1 meter high. The United States’ Pacific Tsunami Center, based in Hawaii, warned of possible hazardous tsunami waves within a 300 km range of the earthquake’s epicenter.

The Japan Meteorological Agency had initially predicted that tsunami waves could reach up to five meters in height. The occurrence of tsunamis brought back memories of the devastating 2011 earthquake, which had a magnitude of 9.0 and triggered a tsunami leading to a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

As a precautionary measure, NHK reported that Hokuriku Electric Power was checking for irregularities at the nuclear power plants it operates. Kansai Electric Power, another utility company, stated that there were no abnormalities at its nuclear plants but continued to closely monitor the situation. The Japanese government reported no abnormalities from the nuclear power plants in the country as of the latest updates. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami warnings highlighted the ongoing need for preparedness and rapid response to mitigate the impact of natural disasters in seismically active regions like Japan.