Evacuation orders issued in Japan after powerful earthquake triggers tsunami warning

(CNN) — A powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday, triggering evacuation orders and a tsunami warning for parts of the coastline.

Some parts of the country have already experienced tsunami waves, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported in an update early Tuesday local time. A 2.3-foot (0.7-meter) tsunami height has already been observed at Kuji port in Iwate. A 16-inch (40cm) tsunami height was recorded in Aomori and Hokkaido, the JMA said earlier.

The JMA also warned that tsunami height could increase in the coming hours and encouraged people to heed evacuation orders. A tsunami of almost 10 feet (3 meters) could hit some areas of the coast, including Iwate, Aomori and parts of Hokkaido, according to the JMA.

The United States Geologi