Japanese authorities have issued a major earthquake and tornado alert following a mega tremor earlier this week.
Authorities issued a warning of a “major earthquake” striking the island nation in the near future. The warning told people to be alert but not yet evacuate.
The warning told residents that while a large quake was not imminent, the risk was likely higher than normal. Its alert comes after a huge 7.1 tremor rocked the southern islandof Kyushu earlier this week.
Experts have been on heightened alert following the tremor and have also issued separate warnings for counties near the capital Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tornado warnings for the Saitama and Gunma prefectures, both just northwest of Tokyo.
Japan was rocked by a major earthquake earlier this week (
Image:Kyodo)
The agency added: “Saitama Prefecture Northern Saitama Prefecture is in a weather condition that is prone to the occurrence of violent gusts of wind such as tornadoes
“Pay attention to the state of the sky. If there are signs of approaching cumulonimbus clouds, such as lightning or sudden changes in wind, please make efforts to ensure your safety, such as by moving inside a sturdy building Please also be careful of lightning, hail, and sudden heavy rain.”
It added in a warning for Gunma Prefecture: “The weather conditions in southern Gunma Prefecture make it easy for violent gusts of wind such as tornadoes to occur. Pay attention to the state of the sky.”
Experts warned about a possible mega tremor hitting the island nation in the near future (
Image:AP)
Japan is highly susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes due to its close location to three major tectonic plates. According to the BBC, experts have warned there is anywhere between a 70 per cent and 80 per cent quake striking somewhere along the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years.
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Earthquakes of that magnitude are rare and have been recorded once every 90 to 200 years. The last one to strike Japan happened in 1946.
But worst case estimates claim as many as 200,000 people could be killed in a large earthquake that also triggers a follow-up tsunami, the BBC reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency’s warning comes after the 7.1 tremor hit the region. Authorities said the tremor occurred at about 4:42pm local time near Miyazaki, southeast of Nagasaki, on Thursday.
