Overview
- A strong earthquake struck about 40 km north of Te Anau at 9:14pm on Thursday, July 16, prompting immediate tsunami evacuation orders for the West Coast from Milford Sound to Puysegur Point.
- Initial local readings put the tremor at magnitude 6.3 but GeoNet, USGS and GFZ later revised it to about M5.9 with depth estimates between roughly 51 km and 76 km, which reduced the expected risk of major surface damage.
- The National Emergency Management Agency downgraded the tsunami warning to a national advisory and in some bulletins canceled it after no tsunami signals were detected, but it and Civil Defence continue to tell people to avoid beaches, harbours and rivers because of strong and unpredictable currents.
- GeoNet recorded more than 18,000–20,000 felt reports and a local aftershock sequence including events around M3.3–4.3, and emergency teams are conducting infrastructure checks and precautionary inspections in affected districts.
- No serious injuries or widespread structural collapse have been reported in initial assessments, but authorities said they will keep monitoring aftershocks and coastal activity and urged residents and visitors to follow local evacuation instructions and safety guidance.