At least three massive earthquakes struck New Zealand on Friday, sparking evacuation orders for thousands of people and triggering tsunami warnings across the South Pacific.

The most recent was a powerful magnitude 8.1 quake that struck at around 8:30 a.m. local time in the waters off the Kermadec Islands, about 620 miles from New Zealand.

It came about two hours after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the same region.

Many New Zealanders were shaken awake by an earlier 7.2 magnitude quake that struck at 2:27 a.m., off the North Island’s east coast.

Some 60,000 people across the country felt that tremor, with many describing the shaking as “severe,” according to Reuters.

New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency issued a tsunami warning for the country’s coastal areas.

Authorities said waves could reach up to 10 feet above tide levels.

Tsunami warnings were also issued for Hawaii and other Pacific islands including Tonga, American Samoa and Fiji.

Officials also urged people in certain parts of the East Coast of the North Island to immediately move to higher ground.

There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties, likely because of the remoteness of where the largest quake hit.

“Hope everyone is ok out there – especially on the East Coast who would have felt the full force of that earthquake,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posted on Instagram.

In 2011, a magnitude 6.3 quake hit the city of Christchurch, killing 185 people and destroying much of its downtown.