All tsunami warnings and advisories have been lifted in Japan, hours after a powerful offshore earthquake triggered a series of moderate tsunami waves. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of waves of up to 10 feet soon after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake and urged residents on sections of the Pacific coast to evacuate to higher ground, the AP reports. The first tsunamis were recorded about one hour later. The largest one, 4.6 feet in height, reached Sendai Bay about two hours after the earthquake. None of them caused major damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says the quake, which struck Tuesday off the coast of Fukushima prefecture, was an aftershock of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that spawned a deadly tsunami in the same region in 2011. The agency warned that another large quake could hit in the next few days and urged residents to remain cautious for about a week. The quake was the largest in the northeast Japan region since the 2011 quake and some large aftershocks the same day. (More Japan earthquake stories.)