A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the uninhabited Kermadec Islands at 1:56 pm local time Thursday, about 1,000 km northeast of New Zealand 's North Island, with a depth of 10 km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, issued a tsunami warning for coasts located 300 km from the epicenter in the southern ocean, saying that "there is a possibility of tsunami waves up to 0.3 meters to one meter above the tide level for some coasts of the Kermadec Islands." .

There is no risk of a tsunami for New Zealand after the powerful quake, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.