California tsunami warning cancelled: Magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits US West Coast, San Francisco on alert

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has hit the US West Coast, sparking an urgent warning from officials who told locals “you are in danger” and to “move to higher ground”.

A tsunami warning was issued, however, about an hour later, was downgraded.

The quake, which hit just before 11am local time at a shallow depth of 10km, was centred 63km west of the town of Ferndale, a sparsely populated portion of the northern California coast, the US Geological Survey said.

It was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds.

It was followed by smaller aftershocks.

The San Francisco Zoo was evacuated as a result of the earthquake, the zoo said in a post on the social media platform X.

The animals have been secured and staff has been moved to higher ground.

The National Tsunami Center issued a warning for a long stretch of the US west coast, from Dunes City, Oregon, south to San Francisco and San Jose, California, about 643km away.

San Francisco and a large area of the surrounding Bay Area were under the tsunami warning.

Throughout northern California, phones buzzed with a tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you.”

“You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.”

At least 5.3 million people in California were under a tsunami warning after the earthquake, the US Geological Survey said in a yellow alert, which predicts localised but minimal damage.

The tsunami warning was eventually cancelled with officials saying: “The tsunami Warning is cancelled for the coastal areas of California and Oregon.”

More to come...

- With Reuters and AP