Warnings for the system are presently issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre based in Hawaii and the Japanese North-West Pacific Tsunami Advisory Centre based in Tokyo.

UNESCO: THEMES

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, the waves this week were triggered by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake that took place some 120 miles (195km) south of the Samoa group of islands (see map).

ECONOMIST: The Pacific tsunami: Paradise rocked | The

The hurricane centre issued a tropical storm warning for parts of Newfoundland as Earl approached the province.

BBC: Tropical storm Earl hits Canada's coast at Nova Scotia

It potentially banned under-16s from the city centre at night with the warning they must "not be in the vicinity between 9pm and 6am unless they are in the effective control of a parent or responsible adult aged 18 or over".

BBC: Bangor city centre dispersal order 'success'

Greek centre-right MEP Ioannis Kasoulides offered the warning during a debate on the violence in Libya on 9 March 2011.

BBC: MEP: Libya crisis may become 'worse than Rwanda'

The Centre for Economics Business and Research in London, meanwhile, issued a stark warning Thursday.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Cesar Castellanos, the popular mayor of Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, gave warning that a temporary lake formed above the city by debris in the Choluteca river might flood the city centre.

ECONOMIST: After Mitch