Tokyo, Sep 30 (AFP) A tsunami alert was issued today for the Pacific shores of Japan after a massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck thousands of kilometres away off the islands of Samoa and American Samoa.

Japan's meteorological agency warned that tsunami waves of up to 50 centimetres would reach the archipelago's Pacific shores.

The first waves were expected to hit the Ogasawara island chain 1,000 kilometres south of Tokyo at around 11:00 am (0730 IST), followed by Japan's main island about an hour later, it said.

"We issued a tsunami alert for the nation's entire coastline facing the Pacific. We urge people not to engage in activity in or near the sea as it is very dangerous," said Yasuo Sekita, who heads the agency's quake division.

"We urge people to be on full alert as fishing vessels have been carried away or capsized before," he told a nationally televised news conference.

Tsunami Information NUMBER 7
(Tsunami Observations)





Issued at 14:41 JST 30 Sep 2009

Tsunami Observations
As of 14:40 JST
At some parts of the coasts, tsunamis may be higher than those observed at the observation sites.
The tsunamis can become higher from now on.


Hachinohe Initial Tsunami (*3)
Maximum Tsunami 14:33 JST 30 Sep 0.1m
Ofunato Initial Tsunami (*3)
Maximum Tsunami 14:32 JST 30 Sep 0.1m
Ishinomaki-shi Ayukawa Initial Tsunami (*3)
Maximum Tsunami 14:19 JST 30 Sep 0.2m
Miyakejima Ako Initial Tsunami (*3)
Maximum Tsunami 14:31 JST 30 Sep 0.1m
Hachijojima Kaminato Initial Tsunami (*3)
Maximum Tsunami 13:46 JST 30 Sep 0.1m
Chichijima Futami Initial Tsunami (*3)
Maximum Tsunami 13:45 JST 30 Sep 0.1m
Muroto-shi Muroto-misaki Initial Tsunami (*3)
Maximum Tsunami 14:02 JST 30 Sep Slight

*3 mark:Arrival of an initial tsunami has not been identified

Tsunami Warning/Advisory

EASTERN PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
CENTRAL PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
WESTERN PART OF PACIFIC COAST OF HOKKAIDO
PACIFIC COAST OF AOMORI PREF.
IWATE PREF.
MIYAGI PREF.
FUKUSHIMA PREF.
IBARAKI PREF.
KUJUKURI AND SOTOBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
UCHIBO AREA, CHIBA PREF.
IZU ISLANDS
OGASAWARA ISLANDS
SAGAMI BAY AND MIURA PENINSULA
SHIZUOKA PREF.
PACIFIC COAST OF AICHI PREF.
SOUTHERN PART OF MIE PREF.
SOUTHERN PART OF AWAJI ISLAND
WAKAYAMA PREF.
TOKUSHIMA PREF.
KOCHI PREF.
MIYAZAKI PREF.
EASTERN PART OF KAGOSHIMA PREF.
TANEGASHIMA AND YAKUSHIMA AREA
AMAMI ISLANDS AND TOKARA ISLANDS
OKINAWA ISLANDS
DAITOJIMA AREA
MIYAKOJIMA AND YAEYAMA AREA
No tsunami damage at some of the other coasts though there may be slight sea level changes.

Earthquake Information
Occurred at 02:48 JST 30 Sep 2009
Region name SOUTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN
Latitude 15.3S
Longitude 171.0W
Depth about 30km
Magnitude 8.3