New Zealand authorities issued a tsunami warning on Thursday, July 16, 2026, after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck off the west coast of the South Island. Residents in the affected areas were urged to “immediately head” to higher ground.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) advised people to reach “the nearest high ground, outside the tsunami evacuation zones or as far inland as possible”.
Details of the earthquake
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the earthquake occurred at a depth of 53 km. Earlier, the center had reported a magnitude of 5.6 and a depth of 10 km.
Source: The Hindu
