The operator of a nuclear power plant in quake-hit Ishikawa Prefecture says water levels rose by about three meters at the site following tsunami triggered by the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in central Japan.

The Shika plant is located in the prefecture's Noto region. A major tsunami warning was temporarily issued for the area following the quake, which struck around 4:10 p.m. on Monday. The waves later reached multiple locations along the Sea of Japan coast.

Staff at Hokuriku Electric Power Company checked a water level gauge near a seawater intake. They found out the level had been three meters higher than usual between 5:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday. Seawater is used as cooling water.
The utility had earlier said at a news conference on Tuesday morning that it had not observed a significant change in water levels while monitoring the gauge.

The utility also discovered that a four-meter high seawall installed to protect the No.1 reactor was tilting by several centimeters when its workers took a second look at the plant premises.

Some systems at the plant are not functioning after pipes of transformers used to supply outside electricity to the reactors sustained damage in the earthquake. The rupture led to oil leaks.

The operator says the plant is using other means to supply power to critical equipment.

The utility says recovery work started on Tuesday and is proceeding quickly. That work includes retrieving the leaked oil.
Both the No.1 and No.2 reactors at the plant were taken offline long before the earthquake.