Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued an alert to residents in the northeastern region, warning of the increased risk of a larger earthquake following Monday’s magnitude 7.7 quake off Iwate Prefecture. The initial tremor triggered tsunami warnings across the region.
JMA, as well as the Cabinet Office, has placed 182 municipalities from Hokkaido to Chiba on alert, urging residents to review evacuation plans and to be ready to evacuate at any moment as the advisory remains in effect.
The risk of a magnitude 8 or stronger earthquake is currently about 1 percent, 10 times the normal probability, according to the JMA.
The advisory will remain in effect until next Monday (Apr 27) at 5 pm. The last special advisory was announced in December, following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake off Aomori Prefecture’s eastern coast.
The quake on Monday struck 100 km off Iwate’s coast. Reports noted that some buildings in Tokyo and its vicinity also swayed for several minutes.
