Historical tsunamis · May 19, 2023, 2:57 AM UTC
2023 Loyalty Islands tsunami
New Caledonia
The tsunami of May 19, 2023, 2:57 AM UTC originated near Loyalty Islands (New Caledonia).
Key facts
- Date
- May 19, 2023, 2:57 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Depth
- 37 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.61 m
- Observation records
- 27
- Countries affected
- 5
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 37 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.61 m (Lenakel, Tanna, Vanuatu).
27 observation sites in 5 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Litzlitz, Malekula Island (Vanuatu) after 1:33 h.
Map of observation sites
27Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · May 19, 2023, 2:57 AM UTC
- 1:33 hVanuatu · Litzlitz, Malekula Island · 0.07 m
- 2:48 hAustralia · Norfolk Island
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vanuatu | 5 | 0.61 m Lenakel, Tanna | — | 1:33 h |
 New Zealand | 11 | 0.33 m Korotiti Bay, Great Barrier Island | — | — |
 Australia | 4 | 0.24 m Gold Coast, Queensland | — | 2:48 h |
| New Caledonia | 6 | 0.20 m Ouinne | — | — |
 Fiji | 1 | 0.05 m Lautoka | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 27Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenakel, Tanna | 0.61 m | 435 km | Vanuatu |
| Korotiti Bay, Great Barrier Island | 0.33 m | 1,509 km | New Zealand |
| Gold Coast, Queensland | 0.24 m | 1,809 km | Australia |
| Port Vila, Efate Island | 0.22 m | 655 km | Vanuatu |
| North Cape | 0.21 m | 1,261 km | New Zealand |
| Ouinne | 0.20 m | 435 km | New Caledonia |
| Mare Island | 0.19 m | 345 km | New Caledonia |
| Raoul Island, Fishing Rock | 0.15 m | 1,319 km | New Zealand |
| Lifou Island | 0.12 m | 436 km | New Caledonia |
| East Cape | 0.11 m | 1,741 km | New Zealand |
| Port Kembla | 0.11 m | 2,291 km | Australia |
| Lord Howe I. | 0.10 m | 1,470 km | Australia |
| Litzlitz, Malekula Island | 0.07 m | 858 km | Vanuatu |
| Raoul Island, Boat Cove | 0.07 m | 1,321 km | New Zealand |
| Thio | 0.07 m | 492 km | New Caledonia |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.