There will be no impact on UAE in the event of a tsunami, says UAE weather centre

Abu Dhabi: The UAE National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) says there will be absolutely no impact on the coastlines of the UAE in the event of a tsunami being triggered by the earthquakes in Indonesia, since the epicenter of the quakes are more than 5,000km away.

Earlier report from Jakarta: Indonesia and Southeast Asian nations issued a tsunami warning after a strong earthquake hit waters off westernmost Aceh province on Wednesday.

The US Geological Survey said that the quake was centered 33 kilometres beneath the ocean floor around 495 kilometres from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

The quake's magnitude was 8.6, according a revised reading from the US Geological Survey. It had initially reported it as an 8.9-magnitude quake. 

The UAE National Center of Meteorology & Seismology said there will be no impact on the coastlines of the UAE in the event of a tsunami being triggered by the earthquake.

Indonesia quake felt in India

India issued a tsunami warning for its eastern coast after a quake in Indonesia shook major Indian cities, causing panic and sending people fleeing onto the streets.

India's tsunami warning center said waves measuring up to 6 metres were expected along parts of its eastern coast, which was heavily hit by the 2004 tsunami. Smaller waves were expected to hit the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service issued a red high-level warning for the islands, and also put out lower alerts for the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states in the southeast of the country.

Asian nations on tsunami alert

Southeast Asian nations issued tsunami alerts and urged people to move to safety away from coastlines.

US monitors issued an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami watch after the quake.

Sri Lanka and India issued tsunami warnings while Thailand urged people on the Andaman coast, a popular tourist destination, to move to safety.

A Sri Lanka government statement said waves could hit the island's eastern coast by about 10:40 GMT and urged an orderly evacuation of the coastal strip.

India issued a tsunami warning for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Indian Ocean.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service issued a red high-level warning for the islands, and also put out lower alerts for the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states in the southeast of the country.

Australian Bonnie Muddle, vacationing in the Thai resort island of Phuket at the time of the quake, said people were being evacuated from popular tourist areas including Krabi and Phang nag bay.

"Everyone is getting a little concerned over here," she told AFP.

On Wednesday Japan's Meteorological Agency said that there was no risk of a tsunami affecting Japanese coasts.

Geoscience Australia, Canberra's geohazards agency, said there was no risk to Australia from the jolt. Taiwan and New Zealand also said the earthquake posed no threat to the respective countries.

Thailand urges coastal evacuation

Thailand issued an evacuation order for its Andaman coast, a popular tourist destination.

Thailand's National Disaster Warning Centre advised people in the area to move to higher places and stay as far away as possible from the sea. The quake swayed buildings as far away as Thailand's capital Bangkok.