Earthquake With 6.3-Magnitude Jolts New Zealand, Tsunami Warning Issued Near Te Anau

New Zealand Earthqukae: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near Te Anau in New Zealand’s South Island on Thursday, triggering a tsunami warning for coastal areas. The quake’s epicentre was located about 40 km north of the town, with tremors felt across several regions, including Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Invercargill and nearby areas. 

Tsunami Warning Issued

The New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency said the earthquake was close to the gateway of the Fiordland tourist region. Following the tremor, authorities issued a tsunami warning and advised people in coastal areas to remain alert. "The first wave may not be the largest. Tsunami activity will continue for several hours and the threat is real until this warning is cancelled," the agency said.

#Earthquake confirmed by seismic data.⚠Preliminary info: M5.6 || 29 km NW of Te Anau (New Zealand) || 7 min ago (local time 21:14:53). Follow the thread for the updates👇 pic.twitter.com/zlKagfwTTP

— EMSC (@LastQuake) July 16, 2026

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Residents Alerted

Authorities also advised people in other areas to evacuate if they experienced strong or prolonged shaking. "People in all other areas who felt a LONG or STRONG earthquake that makes it hard to stand up, or lasted longer than a minute, should MOVE IMMEDIATELY to the nearest high ground, out of tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible. DO NOT STAY AT HOME," the statement added, as reported by The Mirror.

A TSUNAMI ACTIVITY NATIONAL ADVISORY. This advisory represents a DOWNGRADE from WARNING. The reason for this downgrade is because the magnitude of the earthquake has been revised down to 5.9 following the earthquake near Fiordland.

— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) July 16, 2026

The government body, New Zealand Civil Defence has also warned residents, saying, "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."

Meanwhile, according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake’s epicentre appeared to be on land in Fiordland National Park, a popular tourist destination. The USGS recorded the quake at magnitude 5.9 on the Moment magnitude scale, located about 42 km north-north-west of Te Anau at a depth of 76.397 km.

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