Tsunami Warning for Hawke’s Bay

A tsunami warning was issued midday Thursday for Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast which will affect coastal areas.

The warning follows a magnitude 8.3 earthquake off the coast of Santiago, Chile at 10.54am NZ time today, and confirmation from the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

Strong currents and unusual tidal action is expected over the coming days. A ‘wall of water’ is not expected but the tsunami effect could be a turbulent 20 to 30 centimetres. The first wave of many is expected after 1am on Friday morning, 18th September and will likely carry on throughout the day.

While the height of the tsunami waves will not be high, unusual and strong currents present a risk to people in or near the water at river mouths, marinas, jetties, around rocks or underwater landforms. Whitebaiters and divers are likely to be the most at risk people in our community.

As is usual with a tsunami warming, people are advised to stay away from the coast, or take extreme care over the coming 48 hours.

Inner harbour boaties may care to check moorings and take any other necessary precautions. The Harbourmaster and Napier Port operators have been briefed.

Updates will be issued as appropriate, however people can check hbemergency.govt.nz or the hbemergency Facebook page for the latest updates.

ENDS

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