A pre-dawn major earthquake struck northern New Zealand, triggering a tsunami warning.

According to the US Geological Survey, the 6.9 magnitude quake hit about 178 kilometers (110 miles) northeast of the Gisborne city in North Island on Friday at 2.27 am local time (1327GMT Thursday) and was at a depth of 10 km (6 mi).

However, New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said the earthquake measured 7.3-magnitude.

The agency issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas following the earthquake.

In a statement, the agency said tsunami can trigger coastal inundation flooding of land area.

-Strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges near the shore are expected in the following areas. This means a threat to beach, harbor, estuary, and small boat activities- the statement added.

-Tsunami activity will continue for several hours and the threat must be regarded as real until this warning is canceled- the agency warned.