Tsunami Warning Bulletin

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1631Z 03 MAY 2006

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE PACIFIC BASIN EXCEPT
ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.

... A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT ...

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

TONGA / NIUE / AMERICAN SAMOA / SAMOA / WALLIS-FUTUNA / FIJI

FOR ALL OTHER PACIFIC AREAS, THIS MESSAGE IS AN ADVISORY ONLY.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME -  1527Z 03 MAY 2006
COORDINATES -  19.9 SOUTH  174.2 WEST
LOCATION    -  TONGA ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE   -  7.8

EVALUATION

IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED.  THIS WARNING IS     
BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AN EARTHQUAKE OF THIS     
SIZE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THAT CAN  
STRIKE COASTLINES IN THE REGION NEAR THE EPICENTER WITHIN MINUTES  
TO HOURS. AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE        
ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS CENTER WILL CONTINUE  
TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL GAUGES NEAREST THE REGION AND REPORT IF ANY   
TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY IS OBSERVED. THE WARNING WILL NOT EXPAND     
TO OTHER AREAS OF THE PACIFIC UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED  
TO WARRANT SUCH AN EXPANSION.                                      

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES. ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIMES
MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. THE TIME
BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE TSUNAMI WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION                            COORDINATES     ARRIVAL TIME
--------------------------------    ------------    ------------
TONGA            NUKUALOFA          21.0S 175.2W    1551Z 03 MAY
NIUE             NIUE IS.           19.0S 170.0W    1557Z 03 MAY
AMERICAN SAMOA   PAGO PAGO          14.3S 170.7W    1620Z 03 MAY
SAMOA            APIA               13.8S 171.8W    1622Z 03 MAY
WALLIS-FUTUNA    WALLIS IS.         13.2S 176.2W    1643Z 03 MAY
FIJI             SUVA               18.5S 178.5E    1704Z 03 MAY

BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE BULLETINS

Source: PTWC
FOR ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.