Southland tsunami threat downgraded
Friday, 5 March 2021
A tsunami warning for most of coastal Southland has been downgraded.
However, the warning stays in place for Stewart Island and the Catlins.
All people in a beach and marine threat area are still advised to stay off the water and away from shore areas.
A series of earthquakes off the coast of New Zealand on Friday morning triggered a tsunami warning, which had previously been extended to Southland.
**READ MORE:
* Tsunami threat extended to Southland
* 'Strong and unusual currents' warning for New Plymouth
* Earthquake cluster and tsunami warnings: What you need to know
**
The warning put the threat for beaches and marine areas at 0.3 metre to 1m waves.
There were three quakes near the Kermadec Islands on Friday, measuring 8.1 magnitude, 7.1m, and 7.4m.
Emergency Management Southland had advised people to stay off beaches and shore areas.
There was no requirement to evacuate.
While the warning was in place, people were told to stay out the sea, rivers and estuaries, including in boats, and they also should not have gone sightseeing.
Most of the country faced this level of threat on Friday.
Parts of the coastal North Island faced a higher warning.
Residents in Invercargill reported receiving landline phone calls and a prerecorded message about the threat from the National Emergency Agency.
Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters general manager Graeme Wright said most of their boats were already in port after a windy morning on Friday.
Waves of 0.3 to 1m was a normal days fishing, Wright said.
In July 2009, a 17cm tsunami hit Bluff.
That was after a 7.8 magnitude quake 100km northwest of Tuatapere.
A 20cm tsunami was recorded at Bluff after an 8.1 magnitude quake in the Southern Ocean, two days before the 2004 Boxing Day quake and tsunami that devastated south-east Asia.