Earthquake in Japan prompts tsunami warning

A large earthquake shook Kyushu, Japan, just after 9 p.m. local time Monday night, triggering a tsunami advisory for Japan’s southeast coast.

The earthquake was centered just off Kyushu, about 7 miles east of the coastal city of Miyazaki, about 820 miles southwest of Tokyo. The US Geological Survey recorded it as a preliminary 6.8-magnitude earthquake, and data from the agency indicated “strong” shaking in Miyazaki.

The tsunami advisory has since been the promiseaccording to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

A passenger inside a plane on the tarmac in Miyazaki recorded the plane shaking.

The US Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a tsunami to the US West Coast or Hawaii.

There were no immediate reports of damage or major injuries from the quake, but residents in some were told to evacuate as a precaution, and people in general were told to avoid coastal areas.

One person suffered minor injuries when they fell down the stairs, NHK reported.

Japan sits along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. The country has about 1,500 earthquakes each year strong enough to be felt by humans.

The Ring of Fire is also where most of Earth’s tsunamis are generated and the highest percentage occurs off the coast of Japan, according to the National Weather Service. About two tsunamis per year cause injury or death.

This is a development story. Please check back often for updates.

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Weather.com staff writer Jan Childs covers news and features related to weather, space, climate change, environment and everything in between.