The Japan Meteorological Agency says the magnitude 7.5 quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku, Iwate Prefecture at 4:53 p.m, and had an intensity of upper 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 in the hardest-hit areas.
Tsunami up to 3 meters forecast
The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for Iwate Prefecture and parts of Hokkaido and Aomori. Tsunami up to 3 meters high are expected.
It has issued a tsunami advisory to Hokkaido, Aomori, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. The water may reach up to 1 meter in those areas.
One 80-centimeter tsunami has struck Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, and the water is still rising. A 40-centimeter tsunami has also struck Miyako Port in Iwate Prefecture. 30-centimeter tsunami has been observed in Hachinohe Port in Aomori Prefecture and a 20-centimeter tsunami in Urakawa Town in Hokkaido and Ishionmaki Ayukawa in Miyagi Prefecture.
The operators of airports in Shin-chitose and Sendai say their operations have not been affected due to the quake.
Shinkansen suspended
The operator of Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train says the service has been suspended between Tokyo station and Shin-Aomori station. It had been halted because of the earthquake. The Yamagata Shinkansen has also suspended services. The Akita Shinkansen has also suspended between Akita and Morioka stations.
All local JR lines in Iwate Prefecture have halted services. And some local JR lines in Hokkaido have stopped services.
No abnormality at Fukushima plants
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it’s confirmed there are no abnormalities at its Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear plants. The operator also says there’s been no change in radiation levels around the sites.
Further north, the Tohoku Electric Power Company says currently there are no abnormalities at either its Higashidori nuclear power plant in Aomori Prefecture or its Onagawa plant in Miyagi Prefecture.
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