Tsunami warning issued for Lord Howe Island after 7.7-magnitude quake strikes near Loyalty Islands

SYDNEY -- Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) announced on Friday that a tsunami warning is currently in place for Lord Howe Island, after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands at 02:57 GMT on Friday.

The BOM warned that for the marine environment of Lord Howe Island, there is the possibility of dangerous rips, waves, and strong ocean currents, and some localized overflow onto the immediate foreshore, which are expected to commence after 4:15 p.m. local time on Friday and persist for several hours.

While evacuations are not necessary for marine threat areas, the BOM urged people in these areas to get out of the water and move away from the immediate water's edge.

The weather authority also noted that an eight-centimeter tsunami wave has been observed in New Caledonia.