No tsunami after Kermadec quake

A 7.3-magnitude quake struck near the Kermadec islands this morning. File photo / Getty Images

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck near Raoul Island this morning, but a provisional tsunami warning for New Zealand has already been cancelled.

New Zealand's National Crisis Management Centre was activated after the quake struck at 6.57am today, at a depth of 16km.

It was located 230 kilometeres east of Raoul Island and 310 kilometeres east of Macauley Island, according to GeoNet.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is trying to contact staff on the remote Raoul Island after the quake.

DOC staff and volunteers work on the island, mostly carrying out pest control work.

A spokesman told APNZ they were trying to contact the about eight staff on the island.

Communication was usually through email or skype.

"We can't just pick up the phone and ring Raoul Island,'' he said.

Staff on the island were used to quakes, he said.

"There have been some other big ones this year but no damage,'' the spokesman said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a Tsunami Information Bulletin in response to the earthquake.

While it initially said a tsunami was possible, sea level gauges on Rauol Island registered wave heights between 0.1 and 0.17m.

The New Zealand Tsunami Experts Panel convened and advised that there was no threat to New Zealand from this event.

There is not expected to be any impact on the Rena clean-up efforts.

Normal beach activities may continue, but there may still be some abnormally strong currents in some locations in the north of New Zealand. Caution is advised for swimmers, divers and recreational boat users.

Raoul Island is the largest and northernmost of the main Kermadec Islands, about 1100 kilometres north-east of New Zealand's North Island.

- HERALD ONLINE