Training gone wrong: NEMA apologises after mistakenly issuing tsunami warning for Wairarapa's Castlepoint

23/12/2022
Seni Iasona

"This was part of a training exercise in which a live environment was mistakenly used." Photo credit: Twitter @NZcivildefence & Getty Images

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has apologised after it mistakenly issued a tsunami warning on Twitter for a Wairarapa beach.

In a Twitter post just before 1:30pm on Friday, NEMA said a "tsunami warning has been issued following the magnitude… earthquake near Castlepoint".

Training gone wrong: NEMA apologises after mistakenly issuing tsunami warning for Wairarapa's Castlepoint — Photo credit: Twitter @NZcivildefence

NEMA said it deleted the tweet within three minutes of it being published. 20 minutes after it issued the warning it said the tsunami message was an "error".

"This was part of a training exercise in which a live environment was mistakenly used."

NEMA apologised for any "alarm this may have caused".

"Meri Kirihimete everyone," it added.