This Friday was expected to herald a possible reduction in Covid-19 alert levels for many New Zealanders, but the first big shake off East Cape in the wee hours of the morning meant a sudden change of plans for many. Three earthquakes off the coast of New Zealand today has meant threat of tsunami for many on the coast, prompting towns to be evacuated, their people sheltering on high ground for hours. Read how it all unfolded... Photo: RNZ At 2.27am a severe 7.1 magnitude quake struck 100km east of Te Araroa. It was widely felt across the North Island and parts of the South Island - by 3am, nearly 60,000 people reported feeling it on Geonet.