A major earthquake occurred at 21:38:53 (UTC) on Monday, November 14, 2005. The magnitude 7.2 event has been located OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN. The hypocentral depth was estimated to be 24 km (15 miles). (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA A DESTRUCTIVE PACIFIC-WIDE TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED AND THERE IS NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII. REPEAT. A DESTRUCTIVE PACIFIC-WIDE TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED AND THERE IS NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII.

TOKYO - A strong quake shook northern Japan early Tuesday and Japan's Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings.

The magnitude 6.9 quake at 6:39 a.m. (4:39 p.m. Monday EST) was centered off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan, the agency said. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 7.2. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy.

The agency said a tsunami could reach coastlines on Japan's Pacific Coast between 7:10 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. in Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Hokkaido, the agency said.

The agency said the tsunami could be as high as 20 inches. Such waves are often barely noticeable in the ocean but can rise to greater heights once they arrive at shore.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to national broadcaster NHK.

A strong earthquake occurred at 21:38:54 (UTC) on Monday, November 14, 2005. The magnitude 6.9 event has been located OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN. The hypocentral depth was estimated to be 30 km (18 miles). (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)

TOKYO (AFP) - An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale shook northern Japan, triggering tsunamis on the country's Pacific coast, the meteorological agency reported.

A 30-centimeter (12-inch) high tsunami reached the shore of the northern Japan city of Ofunato, Iwate prefecture, at 7:26 am (22:26 GMT Monday), a municipal official said. Smaller seismic waves were also observed in the prefecture.

The coastal village of Tanohata in Iwate ordered some 400 households to evacuate, public broadcaster NHK said.

There was no immediate reports of major damage.

The quake, which occurred at 6:39 am (2139 GMT), was centred very shallow off the northern Japan coast.

...Tsunami waves of 12 and 19 inches hit the city of Ofunato, and 4- to 12-inch waves generated by the quake struck at least four other towns in the area, the agency said. Tsunami waves are often barely noticeable in the ocean but can rise to greater heights once they reach shore.

Ross Stein, a geophysicist with the USGS in Menlo Park, Calif., said the swell amounted to "a surfable tsunami."

The quake hit at a depth of about 15 miles and was centered off the coast of Sanriku in northern Japan, 330 miles east of Tokyo, the USGS said...