Japan earthquake live: Warnings issued for imminent 3m tsunami after major earthquake

Tsunami warnings have been issued for most of Japan’s eastern coastline after a major 7.5-magnitude earthquake in the Pacific Ocean.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of an imminent tsunami up to 3 metres in height for parts of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate prefectures.

The ‌earthquake had an epicentre in the ⁠Pacific Ocean and was 10 km deep, according to the JMA.

It initially measured at 7.4 magnitude before later being upgraded to 7.5. On Japan's ‌own seismic intensity scale it measured an “upper – strong ​enough to make ‌it ⁠difficult for people ⁠to move around. In many ‌cases, ​unreinforced concrete-block ‌walls collapse.

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What is an 'upper 5' earthquake? Falling furniture, difficulty in walking

The seismic intensity of Monday afternoon's earthquake was recorded as an "upper 5" on Japan’s seismic scale in some places.

According to the scale, upper 5 indicates that “most people find it difficult to walk without holding on to a stable object” and that “unfixed furniture may fall over”.

The upper 5 was recorded in Aomori prefecture on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, and lower 5 levels were recorded in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.

Japan uses a special shindo scale to describe how strongly the ground shakes during an earthquake. It goes from 0 to 7 and reflects the actual impact felt at a location, unlike magnitude which measures the earthquake’s overall energy at its source.

2011 tsunami following 9.0 magnitude earthquake led to 22,000 deaths

It's 15 years since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, ravaged parts of northern Japan, caused more than 22,000 deaths and forced nearly half a million people to flee their homes, most of them due to tsunami damage.

Some 160,000 people fled their homes in Fukushima because of the radiation spewed from the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

About 26,000 of them haven't returned because they resettled elsewhere, their hometowns remain off-limits or they have lingering concerns about radiation.

Mapped: Tsunami warnings issued in these areas of Japan after 7.5 magnitude earthquake

Tsunami warnings have been put in place for the northeastern coast of Japan, as highlighted in this map from the JMA.

The red warnings are for 3m tsunami waves in central Hokkaido and Iwate prefecture.

The yellow warnings indicate a 1m tsunami, and affect areas including Fukushima and northeastern Hokkaido.

Japan PM Takaichi announces emergency task force

Speaking to reporters, Japan's prime minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had set up an emergency task force ⁠and urged citizens in the affected areas to evacuate to ​safety.

Broadcaster ⁠NHK showed ships sailing ‌out of Hachinohe port in Hokkaido in anticipation of the waves, as an alert 'Tsunami! Evacuate!' flashed across the screen.

3 metre tsunami warning issued after earthquake in northeastern Japan

Japan's NHK public television has issued a public alert and said a tsunami of up to 3 metres (10 feet) could hit the area shortly, citing the country’s weather agency.

The agency forecast said tsunami waves could reach the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and Iwate prefectures.

Authorities urged the residents to stay away from coastal areas ⁠where tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (9.84 ft) were expected.

Aomori bullet train halts operations after strong earthquake hits Japan

The Tokyo Aomori bullet train has halted operations after a major earthquake rocked Japan, officials said.

The quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 and occurred off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan at around 4.53pm (0753 GMT), at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6 miles) below the sea surface, officials said.

Tsunami warnings issued after major earthquake strikes off Japan

Tsunami warnings have been issued for most of Japan’s eastern coastline after a major 7.5-magnitude earthquake in the Pacific Ocean.