TSUNAMI warnings remain in place for Australia's east coast with residents of New South Wales and Tasmania being warned to avoid the coast and low-lying areas - and get to high ground if the tide suddenly goes out.
The Bureau of Meteorology says Queensland may experience some unusual tides but the tsunami threat appeared to have eased for the state.
Tsunami waves generated from a massive earthquake under the Pacific are expected to start hitting NSW and the weather bureau warns that small waves could be followed by larger ones over the following hour.
Three people have been reported killed by a tsunami in the Solomon Islands, which was sparked by an earthquake under the Pacific measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale.
The weather bureau said the New South Wales coastline would be affected from 10.15am (AEST) onwards, with the Sydney region "most likely" affected from 11.30 (AEST) onwards.
"Dangerous waves and currents may affect beaches, harbours and rivers for several hours from the time of impact and low-lying coastal areas could be flooded. The waves can be separated in time by between ten to sixty minutes and the first wave of the series may not be the largest," the bureau has warned.
Tasmania would be affected from 12.30pm onwards, the bureau said.
A Geoscience Australia spokeswoman said the tsunami was between 10 and 20 centimeters (four to eight inches) at the single point it was measured, posing little threat to residents in isolated areas of Australia.
"It's not a really big (threat) for the coast of Australia," she said.
Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Rob Webb said that while the tsumani sounded small, it had so far only been measured in one place and still had the potential to cause damage in the Pacific.
"It can act very differently in different locations,'' he said. "It's quite a dangerous situation that we are monitoring very closely - 8.1 is enough to generate a tsumani across the Pacific."
Emergency services advise people to leave the beaches, and ask people on boats to return to shore.
"If you see the sea go out like a very low tide then immediately go to high ground," the warnings say.
Cairns police said there were no formal evacuations being made but some residents had moved to higher ground.
“Some schools have sent children home and some of those in low lying areas have elected to evacuate themselves,” a spokesman said.
While awaiting confirmation of a tsunami Emergency Management Queensland had urged residents north of Mackay to take safety precautions and to prepare for an evacuation.
“Residents are advised to listen to radio for updates, stay away from beaches, and prepare for evacuations if advised by authorities,” an EMA statement posted on the website said.
Cairns Base Hospital has cancelled elective surgery and outpatient clinics because of the tsunami alert. A spokeswoman said all precautions were being taken in case a tsunami does affect the city.
With AFP
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21488580-2,00.html
The Bureau of Meteorology says Queensland may experience some unusual tides but the tsunami threat appeared to have eased for the state.
Tsunami waves generated from a massive earthquake under the Pacific are expected to start hitting NSW and the weather bureau warns that small waves could be followed by larger ones over the following hour.
Three people have been reported killed by a tsunami in the Solomon Islands, which was sparked by an earthquake under the Pacific measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale.
The weather bureau said the New South Wales coastline would be affected from 10.15am (AEST) onwards, with the Sydney region "most likely" affected from 11.30 (AEST) onwards.
"Dangerous waves and currents may affect beaches, harbours and rivers for several hours from the time of impact and low-lying coastal areas could be flooded. The waves can be separated in time by between ten to sixty minutes and the first wave of the series may not be the largest," the bureau has warned.
Tasmania would be affected from 12.30pm onwards, the bureau said.
A Geoscience Australia spokeswoman said the tsunami was between 10 and 20 centimeters (four to eight inches) at the single point it was measured, posing little threat to residents in isolated areas of Australia.
"It's not a really big (threat) for the coast of Australia," she said.
Bureau of Meteorology spokesman Rob Webb said that while the tsumani sounded small, it had so far only been measured in one place and still had the potential to cause damage in the Pacific.
"It can act very differently in different locations,'' he said. "It's quite a dangerous situation that we are monitoring very closely - 8.1 is enough to generate a tsumani across the Pacific."
Emergency services advise people to leave the beaches, and ask people on boats to return to shore.
"If you see the sea go out like a very low tide then immediately go to high ground," the warnings say.
Cairns police said there were no formal evacuations being made but some residents had moved to higher ground.
“Some schools have sent children home and some of those in low lying areas have elected to evacuate themselves,” a spokesman said.
While awaiting confirmation of a tsunami Emergency Management Queensland had urged residents north of Mackay to take safety precautions and to prepare for an evacuation.
“Residents are advised to listen to radio for updates, stay away from beaches, and prepare for evacuations if advised by authorities,” an EMA statement posted on the website said.
Cairns Base Hospital has cancelled elective surgery and outpatient clinics because of the tsunami alert. A spokeswoman said all precautions were being taken in case a tsunami does affect the city.
With AFP
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21488580-2,00.html
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