Tsunami warning and immediate evacuation order issued after earthquake in New Zealand

The tremor was detected around 24 miles north of Te Anau’s World Heritage-listed fjords,welcoming thousands of visitors each year (Picture: Linke/imageBROKER/Shutterstock)

New Zealand’s famous national park is under an immediate tsunami threat after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near the coast.

The alarm was raised after a ‘damaging’ tsunami wave is feared on the South Island.

People in coastal areas were told to move to higher ground immediately after the quake hit today,even abandoning their vehicles and running to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

The powerful tremor was detected around 24 miles north of Te Anau off the remote Fiordland National Park,known for its majestic fjords and hiking trails.

The alarm was raised after the earthquake off New Zealand’s South Island today (Picture: Sanka Vidanagama/NurPhoto)

The warning is in place on the west coast of the South Island from Milford Sound and Puysegur Point,the country’s emergency agency said.

Sign up for all of the latest stories

Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.The earthquake’s centre was detected at a depth of around 58 miles underground at 9.14pm local time today,west of tourist hotspot Queenstown,Otago.  The warning has since been downgraded and the quake strength revised to 5.9 magnitudes,New Zealand Civil Defence said.However,it could create unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore,so people should move away from water,including rivers,and clear off beaches,it said.South Islanders said they heard a loud rumble before shaking started.A resident in Invercargill said their ‘bed was shaking and the house was creaking’ during the terrifying tremor.One resident based more than 100 miles from the warning zone said: ‘Big Earthquake just struck around Te Anau.  ‘I’m 200km away and the shaking here was intense. Hopefully everyone is okay and there isn’t too much damage.’ A map shows where the New Zealand tsunami warning is active after the earthquake (click to zoom)People nearly 200 miles east on the other side of the island reported feeling some of the shocks.One Redditor said: ‘Felt it in Dunedin. Not super strong but definitely felt it.’Dunedin Hospital’s chairs and pictures shifted as the building shook,according to NZ Herald.There have been no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.National Emergency Management Agency said in a warning: ‘Land inundation is likely in the following areas.‘People near the coast in the following areas must move immediately to the nearest high ground,out of tsunami evacuation zones,or as far inland as possible.‘The earthquake may not have been felt in some of these areas,but evacuation should be immediate as a damaging tsunami is possible.’⚠️ BREAKING: A strong 5.6 magnitude earthquake has struck the South Island of New Zealand.

The deep tremor hit at a depth of 94 km at 09:14 GMT,centered roughly 85 km away from Queenstown,Otago.

Sismo – New Zealand – Queenstown – Otago pic.twitter.com/RkvlhDc3fO— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) July 16,2026‘Listen to local Civil Defence authorities and follow any instructions regarding evacuation of your area. If you are told to evacuate do not stay at home.‘Do not return until an official all-clear message is given by Civil Defence.‘Walk,run or cycle if at all possible to reduce the chances of getting stuck in traffic congestion.’People outside the immediate evacuation zone should move to the nearest higher ground or as far inland as possible if they felt a long or strong earthquake that made it difficult to stand up,the agency said.New Zealand’s dotted with active and extinct volcanoes,and the island sits on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific plates,making it prone to earthquakes.The South Island’s largest city,Christchurch,was devastated in the 2011 quakes when a tremor struck just four miles from the business centre,killing 185 people.To date,the country’s worst natural disaster has been the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake.Thousands were injured and 256 people died after buildings collapsed from a 7.8 magnitude shock in the North Island.Have you been affected? Please email Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at . Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.For more stories like this,check our news page.Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.