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Japan issued its first high-level warning on Tuesday that a so-called “megaquake” could strike after last night. 7.5 magnitude earthquake hits offshore area.
Officials warned that the coming days would be crucial for coastal areas that face an increased risk of aftershocks.
Japan Meteorological Agency said its probability has increased Earthquake of magnitude 8 or more Along with Japan Trench and Chishima Trench, this is the first activation of the top-level alert since the system launched in 2022.
The alert covers a wide swath of the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Chiba.
Officials urged the public to review evacuation routes, secure heavy furniture and prepare emergency supplies, stressing that communities should remain “vigilant over the next week” even in the absence of any evacuation orders.
Monday’s quake struck at about 11:15 p.m. local time, about 50 miles off the coast of Aomori, and produced a tremor strong enough to generate “long-duration ground motion,” slow-moving waves that violently shook tall buildings.
According to NHK report, tremors were so strong in some parts of Aomori that people on upper floors found it difficult to even stand.
A tsunami warning was issued for Aomori, Iwate and parts of Hokkaido before being downgraded and lifted on Tuesday morning. Waves up to 70 cm were seen at many coastal locations.
Officials said a major shock was possible, but not certain.
The warning comes months after the Cabinet Office issued a major update on its planning for a long-feared “megaquake” scenario, estimating that in a worst-case scenario, a massive offshore rupture could kill about 300,000 people and cause damage equivalent to half the country’s GDP.
The report estimated that a magnitude 9 earthquake would result in losses of ¥270 trillion (£1.3 trillion), a sharp increase from earlier estimates. This change reflects inflationary pressures as well as new landfall and flood data, suggesting that potential impacts may extend further inland than previously thought.
In January, Japan’s earthquake investigation panel The probability of a major earthquake has increased More than 80 percent within the next 30 years.
A megaquake is an earthquake of magnitude 8 or greater, capable of causing more damage than a normal earthquake, especially when it strikes close to the surface or in densely populated areas.
One is expected to strike the Nankai Trough, a 900 km oceanic area where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate. a magnitude 9 Earthquake A massive tsunami could occur along this trough and hundreds of buildings could collapse.
The impact on the population would be particularly severe if an earthquake occurred late at night during the winter, while most people were inside their homes.
The Nankai Trough, located off the southwestern coast of Japan, is known to produce large earthquakes every 100 to 150 years. The last major event occurred in the 1940s and seismologists say stress has been increasing steadily since then.
In 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan, causing an earthquake tsunami It killed more than 15,000 people and caused a meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plantThe worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
Last year, Japan issued its first advisory warning of a “relatively high probability” of a major earthquake in the Nankai region after a magnitude 7.1 quake struck near the edge of the trough.
Japan, one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, has invested heavily in early warning systems and infrastructure upgrades, but officials say more preparations are needed to protect communities from a disaster of this scale.
Additional reporting by agencies.