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Japan is under a tsunami warning after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook the coast.
The earthquake was 84km east of Misawa, Japan, with warnings for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate issued as a possible three-metre high tsunami is heading towards the coast.
Locals have been warned to evacuate as quickly as possible, because the tsunami waves can hit repeatedly.
Those within the affected areas are urged to steer clear of coasts and river mouths which could overflow.
The quake struck at around 11.15 pm local time around 50 kilometres beneath the seabed.
After the deadly 2011 earthquake in Japan, tsunami waves measured as much as 40 metres in some areas. Authorities have said this tsunami will reach a height of as much as 3 metres.
How is the dimensions of an earthquake measured?
Magnitude is the size of the earthquake, and is expressed as a number.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) explains on its website that the time, location, and magnitude of an earthquake could be determined from the information recorded by a seismometer, which records the vibrations that travel through the Earth.
Based on USGS, a magnitude 5.3 is a moderate earthquake while a magnitude 6.3 is a robust earthquake.
The one which hit the coast of Japan moments ago measured in at a magnitude 7.2.
The 2011 Japanese earthquake which killed over 15,000 and left over 6,000 people injured had a magnitude of 9.1.
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