An earthquake with a 7.5 magnitude was recorded off the coasts of Vanuatu and New Caledonia on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey announced (USGS), triggering a tsunami warning for bordering nations.

The quake struck just after midnight (1:20 p.m. GMT) on Thursday about 415 kilometers (257.87 miles) east of Vao in New Caledonia at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), according to USGS.

"Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within the next three hours," the NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

Waves reaching between 0.3 and one metre above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu, the centre said.

Smaller waves were forecast for other nations in the region including Australia, the Cook Islands and American Samoa.

There were no initial reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which was initially recorded by USGS at magnitude 7.5 before being revised to 7.7.

The Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.