The northeastern region of Japan experienced a magnitude 6.7 earthquake on Friday morning (December 12). The Japan Meteorological Agency immediately issued tsunami warnings for multiple areas, cautioning about the possibility of a tsunami as high as 1 meter.
At the same time, several nuclear power plants and facilities related to nuclear fuel in Japan reported no abnormalities or radiation changes as a result of the earthquake.
The earthquake occurred at 11:44 am local time with its epicenter located in the northeastern region of Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami alerts following the earthquake. Just a few days ago, the same region was hit by a strong 7.5 magnitude earthquake, prompting authorities to issue a “subsequent earthquake caution warning” for residents in seven prefectures from Hokkaido to Chiba, indicating a potential of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake in the next 7 days.
The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the earthquake in the eastern waters of Aomori Prefecture had a depth of approximately 20 kilometers. Tsunami warnings were issued for coastal areas of Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, central coastal areas of Hokkaido, and Miyagi Prefecture, with estimated tsunami heights potentially reaching 1 meter.
A “tsunami caution warning” is issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency when the predicted tsunami height ranges from 0.2 to 1 meter.
The agency urged residents in the affected areas to stay away from the coastlines and river mouths, avoid going to observe the situation, and reminded that tsunamis may recur and suddenly increase in height. Individuals in dangerous locations were advised to evacuate to safety immediately.
The Japan Meteorological Agency also released estimated times for tsunami arrival in different regions.
In particular, tsunamis were expected to hit some coastal areas of Aomori and Iwate Prefectures around 12:00 pm. For central coastal areas of Hokkaido and certain parts of Miyagi Prefecture, the estimated arrival times ranged between 12:10 pm and 1:20 pm.
Regarding nuclear safety, several key facilities affected by the earthquake have been confirmed to be operating normally.
The Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant in Higashidori Village, Aomori Prefecture, although in long-term shutdown, has shown no abnormality. Moreover, the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in operation in Miyagi Prefecture and the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant in Hokkaido also reported no damages or abnormalities.
Radiation monitoring around these nuclear plants has shown no changes in radiation levels.
Apart from nuclear power plants, relevant Japanese authorities stated that ongoing assessments are being conducted to determine any damages or abnormalities at other thermal power generation facilities.