A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands on Thursday with hazardous tsunami waves possible along the coast, seismologists said.

The quake hit at a depth of 22 kilometres (13 miles) some 149 kilometres southwest of Panguna in PNG and 642 kilometres from the Solomons capital Honiara, the US Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no Pacific-wide threat was expected but "hazardous waves are possible within 300 kilometres of the epicentre along the coasts of the Solomon islands and Papua New Guinea".