Australia is braced for a tsunami after a powerful earthquake struck an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicates that a strong shake was felt at the epicentre of the quake on Macquarie Island.
The quake was reportedly at a depth of 29.3km (18.21 miles). The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre has now said that Australia is on tsunami alert But the US Tsunami Warning System has indicated a tsunami will likely pose little threat following the quake.
This includes to Macquarie, surrounding island territories as well as mainland Australia. The USGS originally registered the quake as having a magnitude of 7.3, but later revised this figure to 6.7. Macquarie Island lies about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica, and has been a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900.
