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Tsunami possible near Vanuatu following M7.2 earthquake

No longer in forceReceived 24 Oct 2026, 02:43 UTCArchived 24 Oct 2026, 04:02 UTC

Warning text

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CORAL SEA. VANUATU. 1. EARTHQUAKE WITH PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.2 OCCURRED AT 240231Z OCT IN VICINITY OF VANUATU ISLANDS. TSUNAMI WAVES ARE POSSIBLE FOR COASTS LOCATED IN AREA WITHIN 190 MILES OF 13-48.00S 165-42.00E. 2. TSUNAMI ACTIVITY IS FORECASTED TO START AT THE FOLLOWING TIME: A. ESPERITU SANTO 15-06.00S 167-18.00E AT 0301Z. 3. TSUNAMI MAY BE A SERIES OF WAVES WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL. R. FURTHER TSUNAMI INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.TSUNAMI.GOV.

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AnalysisNotable

No longer in force

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurred near the Vanuatu islands at 240231Z OCT. Tsunami waves are possible for coasts within 190 miles of 13-48.00S 165-42.00E. Tsunami activity was forecast to start at Espiritu Santo (15-06.00S 167-18.00E) at 0301Z; waves may come as a series and remain dangerous for several hours after the first arrival. Further information available at www.tsunami.gov.

Avoid close approach to shore, move to deeper water if advised by local authorities and maintain a sharp lookout. Follow instructions from coastal authorities and consult www.tsunami.gov for updates.

Background (general knowledge, not from the warning)

Vanuatu lies in a tectonically active region of the southwest Pacific where large earthquakes on subduction zone faults can generate tsunamis. Tsunami warnings and forecasts for the Pacific are routinely issued by national and regional tsunami centers; www.tsunami.gov is the U.S. tsunami information portal which aggregates forecasts and guidance. Tsunami wave heights and arrival times vary by local coastline and bathymetry, so danger can persist for several hours as multiple waves arrive.

Type: Weather · severity critical
Location: Coral Sea, Vanuatu (coasts within 190 miles of 13-48.00S 165-42.00E)
Validity: From 24 Oct 2026, 02:31 UTC
EARTHQUAKE WITH PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.2 OCCURRED AT 240231Z OCT ... TSUNAMI WAVES ARE POSSIBLE FOR COASTS LOCATED IN AREA WITHIN 190 MILES OF 13-48.00S 165-42.00E. TSUNAMI ACTIVITY IS FORECASTED TO START ... ESPERITU SANTO 15-06.00S 167-18.00E AT 0301Z. TSUNAMI MAY BE A SERIES OF WAVES WHICH CO
Activity periods: 24 Oct 2026, 03:01 UTC - ? (Tsunami activity forecast to start at Espiritu Santo at 0301Z)
Hazards: tsunami waves, series of dangerous waves lasting several hours
Keep clear: 190 NMTSUNAMI WAVES ARE POSSIBLE FOR COASTS LOCATED IN AREA WITHIN 190 MILES OF 13-48.00S 165-42.00E.

Contacts

WWW.TSUNAMI.GOV · further tsunami information

Worked out automatically from the warning text on 24 Oct 2026, 03:07 UTC; the background is general knowledge, not from the warning. It can be wrong: the official warning text is the authority.

KeywordsDANGER

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