Footage of water receding from beach in Japan emerges amid tsunami warnings

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake had a magnitude of 7.4, with its epicentre 18 kilometres south of Taiwan’s Hualien City at a depth of 34.8 km.

The Japan Meteorological Agency had given a preliminary estimate of magnitude 7.5 for Wednesday morning’s earthquake, but later upgraded that to magnitude 7.7.

As of 12.30pm AEDT, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, and China were all officially listed as being impacted by the disaster.

Tsunami waves as high as three metres were expected immediately for remote Japanese islands in the region, including Miyakojima island.

“Tsunami is coming. Please evacuate immediately,” said an anchor on Japanese national broadcaster, NHK.

“Do not stop. Do not go back.”

However, new reports indicate Japanese authorities have since lowered the tsunami warning to a “tsunami advisory”, though concerning footage is continuing to emerge from those in impacted areas.

Social media user, Tomohiro Yuasa, who is currently at a hotel in Nago, Okinawa, has been sharing updates to X, including footage of water appearing to recede along the coast.

“The evacuation level of the hotel has been raised from the 2nd floor to the 4th floor or above,” he wrote.

Warning alarms can be heard throughout the area.

Flights have reportedly been suspended at Okinawa’s main airport and told to divert as a precautionary measure.

In Taiwan, authorities issued a tsunami warning via text message “to remind people in coastal areas to be vigilant and take strict precautions and pay attention to the dangers caused by sudden surges in waves”.

To Taiwan’s west, the Philippines also issued a tsunami warning and called for the evacuation of coastal areas.

Coastal areas in the northern provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Illocos Norte and Isabela “are expected to experience high tsunami waves” based on tsunami wave models, the state seismological agency said.

More to come.