A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of New Caledonia on Monday, prompting a tsunami warning for nearby areas.

The US Geological Survey said the tremor hit at a depth 25 kilometres (16 miles), some 85 kilometres to the east of the lightly populated Loyalty Islands.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert saying that tsunami waves could affect areas within 300 kilometers (180 miles), which would include New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

But a resident in Port Vila, Vanuatu, told AFP that no warnings had been issued by local authorities.

The earthquake followed a series of temblors to hit the Loyalty Islands area over the past few weeks, including a 6.8-magnitude quake that struck at the end of October.

New Caledonia is part of the "Ring of Fire", a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.