Japan says 5-metre tsunami expected after 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Ishikawa

Japan has issued a major tsunami warning for its northern coastal regions after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Ishikawa province on Monday.

The tsunami warning has been issued for the coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama prefectures, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

People living in coastal areas have been urged to quickly evacuate as waves of up to 5 metres are expected to slam the shoreline, public broadcaster NHK said, and to remain in place until all warnings are lifted.

Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the earthquake here.

The earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day was felt by residents across Tokyo and in the Kanto area.

Several strong aftershocks have already hit the Sea of Japan in the hour after the initial earthquake, and the government has warned there could be more to come.

Waves with a height of more than 5 metres “may have reached” Noto in Ishikawa prefecture already, while waves of at least 1 metre have already hit the coast of Wajima city in Ishikawa, the broadcaster said.

Ishikawa was place under a major tsunami warning, while lower-level warnings or advisories have been issued for the rest of the northwestern coast of the island of Honshu.

Neighbouring South Korea, North Korea and Russia also issued tsunami warnings for their Sea of Japan coasts, with South Korean authorities ordering people in some regions to evacuate to higher ground.

Images on social media showed panicked people hiding under rocking tables as the earthquake hit and some visuals showed damaged houses in the aftermath of the tremblor.

Japanese media showed a gathering of individuals, among them a woman with a baby on her back, standing beside extensive cracks that had torn through the pavement.

During a nationally broadcast news conference, the Japanese Meteorological Agency warned that the region might experience additional significant earthquakes in the coming week, with heightened risk particularly in the next two or three days.

It said Monday’s major tsunami warning for Ishikawa was the first time this level of alert had been issued since March 2011, when a massive earthquake measuring over 9 on the richter scale devastated towns and triggered meltdowns in Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was one of the strongest earthquakes in the history of Japan that killed more than 15,000 people and left more than 450,000 people homeless.

Prime minister Fumio Kishida’s office urged authorities to “take thorough measures to prevent damage, such as the evacuation of residents” and prioritise human life above all else.

Government spokesperson Hayashi Yoshimasa said in an emergency press conference that authorities were still checking the extent of the damage and warned residents to prepare for possible further quakes.

Expressing the need for urgency with regards to evacuations, Mr Yoshimasa said: “Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately.”

Japan’s Hokuriku Electric Power Company said more than more than 36,000 houses were experiencing power outages following the earthquakes.

Hokuriku Electric Power said it is checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, NHK reported.Located closest to the epicentre of the earthquake, the plant had already halted operations at its reactors for a regular inspection before the quake struck.

South Korea’s meteorological agency said the seal level could rise in some parts of Gangwon province on the east coast after the massive earthquake in Japan. Residents have been urged to evacuate to higher grounds as tsunami waves are expected to reach the coast off the eastern city of Gangneung by 6.29pm local time.

Russia has issued tsunami warnings for parts Sakhalin island’s western coast and the mainland cities of Vladivostok and Nakhodka, state news agency TASS reported on Monday, citing officials.