Earthquake hits Vanuatu, no tsunami threat

Pacific authorities have cancelled a tsunami warning after a shallow earthquake which shook Vanuatu this morning showed no signs of disruption to the ocean.

The earthquake hit just after 4a.m. local time, 300 miles northwest of Port Vila, registering 7.2 on the Richter scale.

No immediate damage was reported but it prompted the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii to issue a tsunami warning for Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia 20 minutes after.

However, the warning was cancelled an hour later, despite the area recording aftershocks registering 6.4 and 5.7-magnitude.

"Sea level readings do not show any tsunami signals," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

"If a tsunami was generated it does not pose a threat to any areas outside the epicentral region. The tsunami warning is now cancelled for all areas covered by this centre."

The Meteorological Office told AAP that authorities would now check settlements on the nation's islands for any damage.