Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Civil Defence authorities have cancelled all threat warnings to New Zealand from a tsunami triggered by a devastating earthquake near Samoa.

Civil Defence issued a tsunami warning for all of New Zealand following the 8.0-magnitude quake which occurred at 6.48am on Wednesday (NZ time).

Scores of people in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga have been killed.

GNS Science recorded waves of up to one metre at Raoul Island, about 1000km north of the North Island, and waves of about 50 centimetres at East Cape.

Residents in low-lying coastal areas of the Coromandel Peninsula and Northland in the upper North Island were told to move to higher ground, but were later able to return to their homes.

The Port of Napier sent its boats out to sea in preparation for an expected tsunami.

Civil Defence later confirmed there was no further tsunami risk to New Zealand and closed its national crisis management centre at 5pm.

There were no reports of injury or damage.