Japan issues tsunami warnings after aseries of very strong earthquakes in the Sea of Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has issued tsunami warnings after a series of strong earthquakes shook western areas. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported quakes in the Sea of Japan hitting Ishikawa and nearby prefectures Monday, one of them with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6. It issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu. Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 meters, or about 16.5 feet, and urged people to flee to high land or the top of a nearby building as quickly as possible. Reports of damage were not immediately available.