An undersea earthquake reached a magnitude 7.7 and stirred up a brief tsunami for the coasts of New Zealand and Tonga, seismologists said Wednesday.
Although a tsunami wave was confirmed by sea level readings, the threat passed in less than an hour and the warning was canceled by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
A New Zealand Civil Defense spokesman told the Wellington Post people should stay away from beach areas until the threat dissipated. The quake was strong enough to be felt in Wellington; however, initial reports indicated no damage or injuries occurred.
The quake occurred shortly after 7 a.m. New Zealand time Thursday and was centered 99 miles east of the Kermadec Islands. The magnitude was measured at 7.7 by the U.S. Geological Survey at a depth of 0.62 miles.