Magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocks Fiji in early hours

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake has hit off the east coast of the island nation of Fiji during the early hours of Friday. Photo / Google

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake has rocked the island nation of Fiji during the early hours of Friday.

The quake struck at 3.49am about 100km from the capital, Suva.

The quake was at a depth of 608km.

There’s been another very deep quake below Fiji that caused some ghost quakes in our region, with the biggest being a M5.0. These have been deleted by our Duty Officer. The M7.8 quake was 600km deep. pic.twitter.com/a2OsM9yOCn

— GeoNet (@geonet) September 6, 2018

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) originally recorded the quake at 8.1 before downgrading it to 7.8.

PTWC said there was no tsunami threat because the earthquake was located too deep inside the earth.

Civil Defence confirmed there was no tsunami threat to New Zealand.

There is no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the 8.1M FIJI earthquake.

— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) September 6, 2018

Twitter user Jimi James said he still felt like he was on a rocking boat, an hour after the quake.

Didnt stop the feeling of being on a boat Since 3am something. I was checking geonet saw some 100km deep ones. Then realised it could been from further, start looking, found fiji got rocked. Still feel like Im on a boat. Upper Hutt.

— Jimi James (@JimiJamesJowitt) September 6, 2018