Japan

Strong quake recorded off Japanese coast

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

A Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. A tsunami is a series of destructive sea waves caused by an earthquake.

However, the Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued tsunami warnings for the Ogasawara Islands and a tsunami advisory for southern Japan.

The quake, which occurred 3:19 a.m., is about 95 miles (155 km) from Chichi-shima, Ogasawara Islands.

It is also 210 miles (335 km) from Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, and 650 (1,050 km) miles from Tokyo.

"No destructive widespread tsunami threat exists based on historical earthquake and tsunami data," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter. Authorities in the region of the epicenter should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action."