Whangārei people evacuating to higher ground after the Tsunami Alert on the CBD, crowds gather at the top of Dent St - Fire Brigade Hill. [Source: Mike Dinsdale/NZ Herald]
Swarm of earthquakes in Pacific – including magnitude 8.1 quake in Kermadec Islands at 8.28am (NZT) – spark Civil Defence warnings.
* Tsunami warning for large parts of North Island coast – people near coast from the Bay of Islands to Whangarei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay, Great Barrier Island, and west coast of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Ahipara told to move immediately
* There are two different types of tsumani threat. Most of the country is under a beach and marine threat. But the parts where evacuations are taking place are under a land and marine threat.
* Evacuation orders “not done lightly” and on basis of watching tsunamis in Indonensia and Japan, official says. “We want people to take this seriously.’
* 8.1 earthquake followed 7.4 shake at 6.41am and 7.3 quake off North Island coast at 2.27am
Hundreds of workers, students and residents are fleeing to higher ground after a third, massive Pacific earthquake this morning – and a tsunami threat that affects much of the Northland, Bay of Plenty, East Coast and upper West Coast coastlines.
Residents have been told to move immediately to higher ground after the magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the Kermadec Islands, 1000km northeast of New Zealand, at 8.28am (NZT). There is gridlock in cities such as Whangarei and on other roads around the affected regions.
