A tsunami evacuation warning is in place for parts of the North Island’s east coast after the Kermadec Islands was rocked by a second major earthquake this morning, this time a magnitude 8.0 quake at a depth of 10km.
The quake struck at 8.28 am, prompting Civil Defence to issue the warning for people near the coast from the Bay of Islands to Whangārei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay including Whakatane, and Great Barrier Island, to move immediately to higher ground.
People evacuating should walk, cycle or run if possible to avoid being stuck in traffic.
The tsunami warning overrides all official Covid-19 rules.
This is a breaking story and will be updated
