A tsunami could strike New Zealand so quickly that there might be no time to alert locals, an expert has warned.
GNS Science senior tsunami scientist Dr William Power said that people living along coastal areas simply wouldn't have enough warning time.
'If you feel an earthquake that makes it hard to stand, or lasts more than a minute - move immediately to higher ground or as far inland as possible,' he told Newshub.
In the unlikely event that a tsunami hits the country, certain emergency measures are already in place to warn locals of the freak event.
Media will broadcast a warning through an emergency alert service and sirens will sound in coastal towns to alert the public to the imminent danger.
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A tsunami could strike New Zealand so quickly that there might be no time to alert locals, an expert has warned (pictured, past tsunamis recorded in New Zealand)
Last week, numerous earthquakes were recorded along a fault line that lies off the east coast of the country's North Island, known as the Hikurangi subduction zone.
'In general terms, the east-facing coasts of the North Island and the southwest corner of the South Island have higher tsunami hazard than the rest of New Zealand as these areas are more exposed to local subduction zones,' Dr Power said.
While a series of earthquakes are common, this particular one was noted as one of the larger 'slow slips' in the area.
If the zone ruptures it could lead to a devastating earthquake and a tsunami.
Auckland tested its siren last weekend, as part of the city's disaster management preparations.
According to GNS Science, the region has a one in 300 chance of a three metre tsunami crashing into it every year.
Despite the low odds of the disaster happening Dr Power said every part of the New Zealand coastline was vulnerable to a potential tsunami.
The last tsunami to hit the country was in 1960, after a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Chile in South America.
The freak weather event caused huge damage to harbours, bridges and coastal buildings along the country's east coast.
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