The U.S. Geological Survey has reported an earthquake measuring 8.0 near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

It was been followed by several aftershocks measuring between 5.6 and 6.6 over the next 32 minutes.

The big one occurred at a depth of 5.8 kilometres.

There's a tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Fiji, Kiribati, and Wallis and Futuna.