A magnitude 8.1 earthquake, the third major one of the day, was detected near the Kermadec Islands near New Zealand on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The U.S. National Weather Service said a tsunami is not expected for the West Coast, Alaska and Canada’s western coast.
A tsunami warning was issued in coastal areas of New Zealand, with strong and unusual currents and an unpredictable surge near shore expected, according to officials.
Water was draining from the ocean as a tsunami watch continued in Whangarei, New Zealand, according to a local source.
A tsunami siren was activated in Langs Beach, New Zealand, according to resident Sacha Judd.
Tonga is projected to be in a direct line for a possible tsunami after the 8.1 quake, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Tsunami warning sirens were heard in Tongatapu, Tonga, according to reporter Michael Field.
A tsunami warning also was issued for American Samoa, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.
A tsunami warning was issued for the Cook Islands, according to a local news outlet., and alarms could be heard.
Possible 1- to 3-foot tsunami waves might impact Guam after the 8.1 earthquake, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.
Fiji issued a tsunami advisory warning for its residents.
A tsunami watch that was issued for the Hawaiian Islands after the latest earthquake has been canceled, according to Gov. David Ige.
There was no tsunami threat for the Australian mainland after a tsunami warning was issued for Norfolk Island.
Earlier Thursday, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake was felt off the Kermadec Islands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami advisory was issued by the New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency after the second quake.
No tsunami warning was in effect after the 7.4 quake, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.
Earlier Thursday, tsunami warnings were lifted for several New Zealand coastal areas after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake near the North Island.
Strong and unpredictable currents are expected along the east coast of the North Island from Cape Runaway to Tolaga Bay, officials said.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System predicted waves of 1 to more than 3 feet but later said that threat had passed.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the first major quake was centered at a depth of 6 miles under the ocean about 111 miles northeast of Gisborne. Residents of Gisborne reported light-to-moderate shaking, it said.
The New Zealand Emergency Management Authority advised anyone near the coast who felt the quake to move to the closest highest ground.
The quake was reported to be felt in cities including Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Whanganui and Tauranga. Auckland residents reported feeling 20 seconds of the quake.
Government agencies in Australia and the Philippines are reporting no threats of tsunamis to their regions. The Mariana Islands are also reportedly in no danger.
While the quakes triggered warning systems and caused traffic jams and some chaos in New Zealand as people scrambled to get to higher ground, they did not appear to pose a widespread threat to lives or major infrastructure.
That’s because of the remoteness of where they hit. The largest struck about 620 miles off the coast of New Zealand.
One of the earlier quakes hit much closer to New Zealand and awoke many people during the night as they felt a long, rumbling shaking.
“Hope everyone is ok out there,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote on Facebook.
After the largest quake, civil defense authorities in New Zealand told people in certain areas on the east coast of the North Island that they should move immediately to higher ground and not stay in their homes.
The agency said in a report that the largest quake occurred at the intersection of the Pacific and Australia tectonic plates and eclipsed the biggest quake previously recorded in the region, a magnitude 8.0 in 1976.
It said the interaction between the plates creates one of the most seismically active regions in the world, and it has recorded 215 quakes there above magnitude 6.0 during the past century.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.4 quake was likely a “foreshock” that contributed to the larger quake but that the first quake that hit closer to New Zealand was too far away in time and distance to have directly contributed.
A magnitude 6.3 quake hit Christchurch in 2011, killing 185 people and destroying much of its downtown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
