New Delhi: Japan was rattled by a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Sunday evening. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the quake struck off the coast of Iwate Prefecture around 5 pm local time at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) below the sea surface.

Moments after the tremor, the JMA reported at least three small scale tsunamis along the country’s northern coastline. The first wave reached Miyako in Iwate at 5:37 pm local time. Two minutes later, a 10-cm wave struck Ofunato city, followed by a 20-cm (eight inches) tsunami hitting the coastal area of Kuji, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

Tsunami waves can reach upto one metre, says JMA

The JMA subsequently issued a tsunami advisory for the Iwate coast. It has warned residents to stay away from coasta

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