Wave seen off Japan, met agency rules out tsunami

A  large wave was spotted off Japan's coast today (14) by a helicopter, but the meteorological agency said it had detected no sign of a new tsunami or a major quake that would have triggered it.

Authorities had issued evacuation orders in some parts of the devastated coastline after the initial report and as seawater was seen retreating off Iwate and Aomori prefectures -- a phenomenon that occurs before tsunamis.

Public broadcaster NHK had reported that the crew of a fire department helicopter had spotted a three-metre high tsunami off Fukushima prefecture, saying it was expected to hit shortly after 0230 GMNT. By 0300 GMT no tsunami was reported to have hit.

A meteorological agency official told AFP: 'When we detect an earthquake, the agency issues either a tsunami warning or an alert, but there was no quake monitored.'
Curtsey: Tokyo (AFP)