A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Solomon Islands Friday morning local time.
It’s not yet known if there were injuries or damage, but a tsunami watch was issued for Hawaii.
An earthquake with a preliminary rating of 7.8 struck the Solomon Islands Friday morning local time, and a tsunami watch has been issued for Hawaii, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
The epicenter was located about 42 miles west-southwest of Kirakira, and the tremor struck at a depth of about 25 miles. The earthquake occurred at 4:38 a.m. Friday morning local time (12:38 p.m. Thursday EST).
It is not yet known if the massive earthquake has triggered a tsunami, or if the temblor caused any damage or injuries. According to the PTWC, the first tsunami wave, should a tsunami be generated, would arrive in Hawaii at about 3 p.m. HST (8 p.m. EST).
This earthquake ties three other 7.8 magnitude tremors as the strongest reported on Earth in 2016.
Original Article:https://weather.com/news/news/solomon-islands-earthquake
