A magnitude 7.6 quake rattled the Caribbean Sea on Saturday about 209km off the coast of the Cayman Islands, triggering tsunami warnings that were later lifted, US monitoring agencies said

The quake occurred at 23.23 UTC at a depth of 33km. It struck at a shallow depth, the US Geological Survey said.

“Based on all available data ... the tsunami threat from this earthquake has passed and there is no further threat,” the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

Earlier, the US Tsunami Warning System said waves as high as nearly 3m were possible in some coastal areas of Cuba, while waves of up to 1m could hit Honduras and the Cayman Islands.

The Cayman Islands Government warned in a message on its website: “Residents living near the coastline are encouraged to move inland.”

The initial tsunami threat warning included more than a dozen countries.

Authorities in the affected regions were urged to take immediate action, warning coastal populations of the potential danger.

About three hours after the earthquake, US authorities warned that “minor sea level fluctuations” of up to 30cm could still occur but that any serious threat had passed.

The powerful earthquake was felt off the coast of Honduras. Image / United States Geological Survey

A tsunami measuring gauge at Isla Mujeres, on Mexico’s eastern coast, measured a wave with a maximum height of 4cm after the earthquake, the US tsunami warning centre said.