A 7.7-magnitude earthquake has shortly struck the southeast of the Loyalty Islands in the Pacific ocean, amid fears of tsunami, according to the Australian weather agency's statement.
"Hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts. Tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 meters above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu," the National Weather Service (NWS) Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
The magnitude of the quake was previously measured at 7.9 and 7.5 by the USGS but was later revised to 7.7.
The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was initially determined to be at 23.1 degrees south latitude and 171.5 degrees east longitude.
A map accompanying the statement indicated the affected areas included the far north of New Zealand's north island, the Great Barrier Island east of Auckland and a stretch of coast along the country's east.
The northern parts of New Zealand were the only areas in danger of any tsunami.
Smaller waves were forecast for other nations in the region including Australia, the Cook Islands and American Samoa.
There were no initial reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which was initially recorded by USGS at magnitude 7.5 before being revised to 7.7.
The Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami on Indonesia's Sulawesi island left more than 4,300 people dead or missing.
A 9.1-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island in 2004, triggering a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region.
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