Japan is bracing for a tsunami with waves as high as 10 feet after more than 20 earthquakes hit in just over 90 minutes

Angle down iconAn icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Road cracks caused by an earthquake are seen in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan on January, 1, 2024. KYODO/Reuters

• Japan issued tsunami alerts after a series of powerful earthquakes.
• Quakes hit from 2 a.m. ET Monday off the coast of Ishikawa, one of them with a magnitude of 7.6.
• Japanese officials warned torrents of water could reach as high as 10 feet.

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Japan has issued tsunami warnings and evacuation orders after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the country overnight, destroying buildings and disrupting electricity and cellphone services.

Waves could reach up to about 10 feet (five meters), according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, which urged people to flee to high land.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV had previously reported waves were expected to reach up to 16.5 feet (five meters), but the predictions have now been downgraded. Evacuation orders are still in effect, per NHK TV.

"We realize your home, your belongings are all precious to you, but your lives are important above everything else. Run to the highest ground possible," an NHK presenter said, according to the BBC.

It comes after the Japan Meteorological Agency reported 21 earthquakes registering 4.0 magnitude or stronger struck central Japan in just over 90 minutes on Monday. One of them had an estimated magnitude of 7.6.

Videos broadcast on Japanese TV appear to show cracks in roads, subway trains shaking and buildings collapsing.

The agency added there is a 10 to 20% chance more earthquakes of similar magnitude could hit within the next few days.

A map shows areas under tsunami warning as of January 1, 8:30 p.m. local time. Japanese Meteorological Agency

Japan has a history of devastating tsunamis. A tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the death of more than 18,000 people.

Waves during that tsunami reached heights up to almost 130 feet.

Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said that nuclear plants in the area had not yet reported any problems. He added that it was critical for people in coastal areas to get away from the oncoming tsunami.

"Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately," he said.

The city of Wajima in Ishikawa prefecture has already reported tsunami waves of almost four feet, according to NHK. Toyama prefecture, and Kashiwazaki, Niigata prefecture, also reported smaller tsunami waves.

Warnings of waves up to a meter three feet high were also issued for parts of North Korea and Russia. Russian officials issued a tsunami alert for the island of Sakhalin.

Officials of Ishikawa Prefecture's Suzu City have confirmed that several houses and power poles have been brought down by a local earthquake, which registered at 7.4 in magnitude, per NKH TV.

A tsunami warning is shown on TV in Yokohama, near Tokyo Monday, January 1, 2024 Eugene Hoshiko

Around 33,000 households are without power with temperatures forecast to drop to 33 degrees Fahrenheit, NKH TV reported.

Six people are thought to be stuck under rubble in collapsed houses on the Noto Peninsula, and no information has been released on their condition, per The Guardian. Multiple people were also reported to be trapped in collapsed houses in Suzu, Ishikawa, per NHK TV.

Meanwhile, a fire has broken out in Wajima City, per The Guardian.

Small tsunami waves are common and cause little damage, but any waves with runups over one meter (3.28 feet) can be particularly dangerous to people living near coastal areas, per the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.

The force of the waves themselves can cause substantial damage, but tsunamis are also dangerous because they cause flooding, erosion, and strong currents that can drag people out to sea. They can also bring in floating debris like trees and cars, that can act like battering rams, per NOAA.

The Japan Meteorological Agency had previously issued a "major tsunami warning" for Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, warning of waves as high as 16 feet. This has since been downgraded to a "tsunami warning."

Update January 1, 2023: The story has been updated to reflect the latest advisory from the Japanese Meteorological Agency. Tsunami waves are now expected to hit 10 feet (3 meters) in height, rather than 16 feet.