BREAKING: Japan struck by huge earthquake near Fukushima nuclear plant

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake this morning and at the moment there are no reports of any casualties or damage.

The quake struck 300 km (180 miles) east of Iwaki, Honshu, at a depth of 77.8 km.

There are currently no tsunami advisories or watches in place, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The Fukushima nuclear plant was destroyed in March 2011 by a 9-magnitude earthquake and the subsequent tsunami, exposing enormous amounts of radioactive material.

Today’s quake is predicted to pass without causing any major damage despite coming just two weeks after a similarly sized earth struck the same region.

Whether or not the earthquake will have an effect on volcanoes in Vanuatu and Bali, which both look ready to erupt, remains to be seen.

The region is on high alert after North Korea conducted a nuclear test last month which caused an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale.

In recent weeks, North Korea has launched two missiles over Japan and may be rapidly advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland.