Breaking: Tsunami warning issued for NZ's South Island after magnitude-6.3 quake

Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:01pm

Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 8:01pm

A tsunami warning has been downgraded in New Zealand following a magnitude-5.9 earthquake.

The quake struck 40 kilometres north of Te Anau with the west coast of the South Island from Milford Sound to Puysegur Point likely to be affected.

Emergency officials had previously said the quake was a magnitude-6.3 and issued a tsunami warning.

That warning has since been downgraded to an advisory.

Although the tsunami alert was cancelled, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it expected coastal areas to experience "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore".

It said people should move out of the water, off beaches, and stay away from harbours, marinas and rivers.

NZ's GeoNet system said "strong" shaking was felt in the area after the quake.

Local resident Maylene Puyat, the duty manager at Te Anau's Fiordland Hotel, told Reuters the earthquake was "a bit strong" and she felt shaking for one minute.

"In the hotel, it's shaking, but nothing moved in the hotel," she said.

Another resident told local outlet Otago Daily Times the earthquake shaking was "long and loud" and sounded "like a train".

"The walls were definitely moving," they said.

The town of Te Anau is the the gateway to the tourist hotspot of Fiordland, a glacier-carved region in the country's south-western corner.