Tsunami waves as tall as a meter above the tide level were possible along the coasts of Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu following a powerful earthquake in the South Pacific, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said on Wednesday.
The magnitude 7.1 undersea quake hit off New Caledonia about 3:50 GMT, and had already sent small waves radiating out toward the Loyalty Islands, some 250 km (155 miles) east of the epicenter.
Waves between 30 cm and 1 meter (1 to 3.3 feet) were possible at some coasts of Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, while smaller waves could reach dozens of other islands, the warning center said.