SYDNEY - A tsunami warning was issued for several South Pacific islands after a major earthquake measuring 8.0 magnitude struck off the Solomon Islands, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said on Wednesday.

The warning was issued for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Fiji, Kiribati, and Wallis and Futuna islands.

A tsunami watch was issued for the rest of the South Pacific nations, including Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.

The quake struck at a very shallow depth of only five km (three miles) and was located 340 km (211 miles) east of Kira Kira in the Solomons.

"It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation," said the tsunami center.