A major 7 magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea’s New Britain island today, triggering a tsunami warning. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves were forecast for some coasts. Tsunami waves were forecast to be less than one foot high for the coasts of PNG and Solomon Islands.

The official said there were no immediate reports of damage from the quake but these typically took several hours to reach the capital after a major shake. The epicentre was 125 kilometres east of the town of Kimbe on the island of New Britain, according to the United States Geological Survey.