Tsunami panic grips the Pacific: Japan is hit by five foot tidal wave after biggest earthquake in 14 years caused millions to evacuate – Live updates

Tsunami waves brought on by the earthquake off Kamchatka, in Russia’s far east, reached heights of ‘5-6 metres’, local experts have assessed.

Igor Medvedev, head of the tsunami laboratory at the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, told the TASS news agency: ‘This is a significant tsunami.

‘According to visual observations, wave heights rose to 5-6 meters at several locations in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.’

Powerful waves pushed toward coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands, Japan, Hawaii and Alaska after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck early Wednesday.

Waves are now starting to approach the U.S. West coast, authorities are warning.

Initial waves of around 3.6ft – a little over a metre – have so far been observed in California.

The US National Weather Service Guam called off its tsunami advisory, after waves of up to a foot were observed on the American territory in Micronesia.

Authorities in French Polynesia warned the population of several of the Marquesas Islands to expect tsunami waves up to 4 metres high (13ft) in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a huge quake off Russia’s Far east.

They said the waves would reach the islands of Ua Huka, Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa at 00:57 a.m. local time (1027 GMT).

Other islands in the Marquesas are expected to experience wave heights between 0.60 m and 0.90 m, the local government said.

Oregon has seen a maximum observed wave height of 1.4ft, at Port Orford, while Washington state has seen tsunamis of up to 0.7ft, at Charleston, according to new figures.

Crescent City, in California, has seen waves measuring up to 3.6ft so far. Adak, in Alaska, saw 2.7ft waves.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency downgraded its tsunami alert to an advisory in the Pacific coast south of Fukushima, with the alert still in place farther north.

Workers at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan – destroyed by a huge quake and tsunami in 2011 – were evacuated earlier today, its operator said.

At Inage Beach in Chiba prefecture in Japan, a security perimeter was set up, and a rescue worker told AFP that the seaside area was off limits until further notice.

‘I didn’t expect there to be a tsunami; I actually made a joke about it when we heard (the alert),’ Canadian tourist Leana Lussier, 17, told AFP.

Waves of up to 4 metres are expected to hit the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia in the early hours of Wednesday, local authorities said.

Waves ranging from ‘1.10 metres to 4 metres’ on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago are expected overnight from around 1:00 am local time (1100 GMT), the High Commission of the French Republic in French Polynesia said in a statement.

It added that the islands of Ua Huka and Hiva Oa are also expected to be affected.

Tsunami waves measuring 3.6ft (1.1m) were observed at Crescent City in California, the National Tsunami Warning Center reported.

Several people were injured by the earthquake in Russia’s far east, state media reported on Wednesday.

The magnitude 8.8 quake struck off Petropavlovsk on Russia’s remote Kamchatka peninsula, and was the largest since 2004.

The first tidal wave hit the coastal part of Severo-Kurilsk on the island. Residents were evacuated to a hill.

A wall collapsed in a pre-school in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, local media reports, but there were no casualties.

A hotline was set up as calls to emergency services surged across the island.

‘The walls were shaking,’ one Kamchatka resident told state media Zvezda.

‘It’s good that we packed a suitcase, there was one with water and clothes near the door. We quickly grabbed it and ran out… It was very scary,’ she said.

The TASS news agency reported that experts predict aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 for ‘at least a month’.

The Pacific warning centre has downgraded the Hawaii tsunami alert to ‘advisory’ and said it was safe for residents to return to evacuated areas.

A major tsunami is not expected to strike the U.S. state of Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said in an update.

There were no reports of major damage.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency warned that the threat of a high tsunami will last for another day.

Masashi Kiyomoto, a spokesperson for the agency, asked people to get to high ground and other safe places as the tsunami continues to be observed

Colombia has orders evacuations following the Russian quake that caused tsunami waves to go around the world.

According to MarineTraffic, 91 vessels left honolulu Harbour in the hours following tsunami alerts.

The vessel tracking service said that the majority ‘comprised fishing boats, pleasure crafts and Coast Guard ships, moving to deeper waters as a safety measure.’

Tsunami waves have now reached Washington state, according to the US National Weather Service.

Officials from the agency said: ‘Keep away from the water and shore until local officials say it is safe to return.’

The US Geological Survey has recorded dozens of aftershock in the area surrounding the epicentre.

A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves of up to 5 metres (16 feet) and sparked evacuation orders in Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday.

The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote

The US’ national weather service said this morning that California has now begun to see its first tsunami waves.

Trackers in Crescent City and North Spit, two cities directly on California’s coast, detected wave patterns consistent with tsunamis.

The agency warned: ‘Waves will continue to build in through the night and will become more dangerous as we approach high tide. Stay away from beaches!’

Waves of up to a foot have been observed on Guam, an American territory in Micronesia, according to the island’s office of civil defence.

It added that while the waves of a similar height are continuing, they are ‘expected to gradually diminish in the coming hours.’

The US Tsunami Warning Centre said that waves of over three metres may hit Ecuador, Hawaii and Russia.

It said that waves of between one and three mettres could hit the coasts of Chile, Costa Rica, Hawaii and several islands in the Pacific.

And it added that waves of up to one metre may hit Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga and Taiwan.

Japan has warned two million of its citizens to evacuate, following the tsunami, while the US’ National Weather Service told people on the West Coast to avoid the sea.

The US’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it had recorded waves of nearly six feet hitting Maui.

It comes as the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said that the waves that hit the archipelago could be even worse in the coming hours.

More than 1.9million people in Japan are being told to evacuate their homes.

People in 207 towns and cities across 21 prefectures are being told they are in danger, following the earthquake and tsunami that struck this morning.

China has lifted its tsunami alerts for the coastal cities of Shanghai and Zheijiang.

Rachel Burrows, a British tourist on a cruise ship off the coast of Hawaii, said she was alerted by sirens and forced to rush back to the ship.

She told BBC Breakfast she was on a tour on the Big Island.

‘We started getting emergency warnings sing on our phones. The first one was tsunami you are in immediate danger, you need to move to higher ground.’

The tour guide was at first dismissive of the warning, saying they happened all the time.

While on their way to a chocolate factory, the tour was stopped after traffic started getting worse due to evacuations and the group were hurried back to the ship.

She added: ‘It was quite scary because all the sirens started going off in the area.

‘Everyone was running trying to get on the cruise ship, because we needed to get out to sea.

‘We were luckily some of the last ones to get on the cruise ship.’

A pedestrian crosses and empty Ala Moana Boulevard ahead of an anticipated tsunami while waved roll on to an empty Waikiki Beach.

Large areas of the US state have been evacuated after a tsunami warning was issued.

Around 4,000 workers have been evacuated from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The site’s usual release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea has also been temporarily suspended as a precautionary step.

The plant was previously at the centre of a major nuclear incident following an earthquake and tsunami, which caused an electrical grid failure and damaged nearly all of the power plant’s backup energy sources.

The incident caused radioactive spillover into the surrounding area and is regarded as the worst nuclear incident since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

A spokeswoman of the plant operator TEPCO confirmed ‘all workers and employees’ had been evacuated from the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

She added that ‘no abnormality’ had been observed at the site.

People were evacuated after magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit the Kamchatka Peninsula and a tsunami partially flooded the area.

The evacuation was carried out under the supervision of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Sakhalin Region.

In Kamchatka, about 60 tourists were evacuated from Khalaktyrsky Beach with the help of three cross-country vehicles.

Civilians were evacuated from the port of Severo-Kurilsk after a tsunami partially flooded the area

Hawaii governor Josh Green has said no large wave activity has come past the Big Island in Hawaii.

Speaking at a press conference he said it was a ‘blessing to not be reportiong any damage’.

He ordered residents to not call 911 unless there was an emergency.

He added: ‘Don’t get on the road at all, unless you have to. Stay in and watch television.’

Speaking at a press conference he said all flights of Maui have been cancelled. Around 200 people were being sheltered at the airport, he said.

He praised residents for taking caution.

Members of the public in Hokkaido in northern Japan have been seen taking shelter on roofs and on balconies in tall buildings.

People were seen on the roof of a fire station in Mukawa town in Hokkaido.

Meanwhile tourists in Hawaii were seen standing on balconies at the ‘Alohilani Resort looking towards Waikiki Beach after authorities warned of the possibility of a tsunami wave

Tsunami waves near the Russian Pacific town of Severo-Kurilsk on the Kuril islands exceeded three metres in height.

Some of the most powerful waves reached up to five metres.

About 2,700 people were evacuated to safe locations on the islands.

Tsunami waves are starting to hit the US state of Hawaii.

The area of Haleiwa in Hawii had record tsunami aplitude of 4ft relative to normal sea levels.

The town of Hanelei recorded waves heights of 3ft relative to normal sea level.

Emergency evacuation sirens blasted through Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa on Wednesday.

Alerts are in place along the coastlines of Niua and Vava’u amid fears a tsunami could strike tonight.

Tonga’s National Tsunami Warning Centre said members of the ‘public who are in the tsunami threat area are advised to prepare to evacuate.’

‘Mariners out at sea are advised to prepare to move to deep water.’

Tonga is a neighbour of Australia and New Zealand.

The Sakhalin government in Russia said in a statement on Monday morning that a state of emergency has been declared in certain tsunami-hit regions.

A spokesperson said: ‘A state of emergency has been declared in the North Kuril District, where an earthquake and tsunami occurred today.’

Buildings have been damaged and inundated with water in the region, with flooding underway.

Already, images are beginning to emerge of the aftermath of the tsunami in the Kuril Islands.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has added Australia to its advisory, saying waves of 0.3m to 1m are possible along the east coast after the magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Russia.

Authorities said damage is expected to be felt along coastal areas of China.

China’s tsunami warning centre said waves of between 30cm and one meter are expected.

‘Based on the latest warning and analysis results, the Tsunami Advisory Centre of the Ministry of National Resources has determined that the earthquake has triggered a tsunami, which is expected to cause damage to certain coastal areas of China,’ the center said.

Late Tuesday Ecuador began preventive evacuations across beaches, docks and low-lying areas in the Galápagos Islands off its coast.

It comes as Mexico revealed it had mobilized ‘all levels of government’ to respond to the threat of a tsunami, and Peru revealed officials were on alert and considering further steps.

FEMA is prepared to intervene and offer support to Hawaii if the tsunami leaves significant damage.

Hawaiian authorities said they have opened a ‘line of communication’ with the appropriate channels within FEMA ahead of the tsunami landing.

The Captain of the Port Honolulu has issued an order for all commercial vessels to evacuate all commercial harbors in Hawaii.

Kamchatka and Russia’s Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest quake to hit the region since 1952.

‘However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high … as one might expect from such a magnitude,’ said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram.

‘Aftershocks are currently ongoing … Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.’

People have taken shelter on the roof of a fire station in Mukawa, Hokkaido in northern Japan.

Earthquakes with similar force to the one recorded today have caused widespread damage in the past.

At a magnitude 8.8, it is tied as the sixth strongest earthquake in history.

A 2010 earthquake in Chile which was also 8.8 magnitude tragically killed 523 people and destroyed more than 370,000 homes.

And in 1906, an earthquake in the Esmeraldas in Ecuador killed 1,500 people.

In 2011, a 9.1 megaquake hit northeast Japan and left 19,747 people either dead or missing.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories as a result of the Kamchatka earthquake.

Governor Josh Green said ‘both the State and County Emergency Operations Centers are fully activated’ as he urged residents to ‘please take this situation seriously.’

‘The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency issued evacuations earlier today for those in tsunami evacuation zones,’ he said.

‘If you are in a coastal area, move inland and to higher ground immediately. Do not wait.’

The National Weather Service has now updated the tsunami threat level across Los Angeles from a ‘Watch’ to an ‘Advisory’.

‘A Tsunami Advisory has been issued, replacing the Tsunami Watch,’ a spokesperson said.

‘The tsunami should arrive near 1AM tonight (4am EST).

‘If you are located in the coastal area, move off the beach & out of harbors & marinas. Do not go to the coast to watch.’

This alert is relevant for residents within Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

Heavy traffic has been reported in Hawaii as tsunami sirens blare and residents are warned to seek higher ground before the first predicted waves.

Extraordinary photos on X show people fleeing in their cars as traffic hits a standstill during the commotion.

Long term residents on the island have described the alarms as the first true tsunami warning in years.

Adjutant General, Hawai‘i Department of Defense Stephen Logan said: ‘Right now, Hawaiʻi is in a Tsunami Warning with first waves hitting at 7:10pm.

‘The sirens will be going off… three hours (4:10pm), two hours (5:10pm), one hour (6:10pm) and a half hour (6:40pm) prior to the first wave. Please familiarize yourself with the Tsunami Evacuation Zones located here:

‘It will take at least 30 minutes for the waves to get from Kauaʻi to Hawaiʻi Island, do not return to the evacuation zones until given the “all clear.”

‘Please check on your friends, family and neighbors.’

He added: ‘If you are near high-rise buildings when an evacuation order is issued, consider vertical evacuation.

‘To vertically evacuate, proceed to the fourth floor or higher of a building that is 10 stories or taller.

‘Waves are currently estimated to be 1 to 3.5 meters high, which means coastal flooding.’

Beachgoers were pictured making their way from the shores holding beach toys and towels amid the chaos.

Workers at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan were evacuated Wednesday after an earthquake off the coast of Russia triggered tsunami warnings around the Pacific.

‘We have evacuated all workers and employees’ at the Fukushima Daiichi plant – which went into meltdown after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 – a spokeswoman for plant operator TEPCO told AFP.

The spokeswoman added that ‘no abnormality’ had been observed at the site.

Buildings in Russia are under water after the first waves of a tsunami hit following a massive earthquake.

It is understood ‘several people’ sustained injuries while evacuating, including a woman who jumped out of a window.

President Trump has issued a statement about the tsunami warnings and horror earthquake off the coast of Russia in a Sunday night Truth Social post.

He wrote: ‘Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii.

‘A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States.

‘Japan is also in the way. Please visit tsunami.gov/ for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!’

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov confirmed that a kindergarten was damaged in the earthquake.

‘Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,’ he said.

No students were inside the building at the time as it was being repaired.

The initial earthquake – already the largest in 14 years – has been upgraded from an 8.7 magnitude to 8.8 magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey.

This makes it the sixth strongest earthquake to ever hit the planet.

New Zealand authorities have warned people in coastal areas to stay away from beaches and shore areas.

– The West Coast of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Raglan, including the West Coast of Auckland and Manukau Harbour, and from Hawera to Whanganui.

– The East and South Coasts of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Makara including Whangarei, Great Barrier Island, the East Coast of Auckland, Waiheke Island, Waitemata Harbour, Tauranga, Whakatane, Opotiki, Gisborne, Napier, Lake Ferry, the Wellington South Coast and Wellington Harbour.

– The West Coast of the South Island from Farewell Spit to Milford Sound including Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika,

– The top of the South Island from Farewell Spit to Port Underwood including Nelson, Picton and the Marlborough Sounds.

– The East and South Coasts of the South Island from the Clarence River to Puysegur Point including Kaikoura, Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, the Otago Peninsula and Invercargill.

– Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands.

There is no need to evacuate unless ordered to be local authorities, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s large northern island of Hokkaido after an 8.7-magnitude earthquake early Wednesday.

Tsunami warning sirens blared Tuesday in Honolulu and people were told to move to higher ground.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a first tsunami wave of about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) reached Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido.

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko.

He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

A timelapse of the 2011 Japan earthquake has provided a shocking glimpse into how fast it takes a tsunami to reach the rest of the world.

The 9.1 Richter quake struck the north east coast of Honshu – Japan’s main island – at 2.46pm local time on March 11, causing a tsunami up to 56ft high that washed inland and destroyed everything in its path.

A harrowing reconstruction of the disaster shows how within a matter of the hours the colossal wave was able to cross the largest ocean on earth – resulting in devastating consequences for any country in its wake.

Authorities have warned residents along the west coast to prepare for a potential tsunami.

These are the times it could hit each location:

Hawaii: 7.17pm HST (1.17am EST)

Washington State: 11.40pm PT (2.40am EST)

Oregon: 11.40pm PT (2.40am EST)

California, San Francisco: 12.40pm PT (3.40am EST)

California, Malibu and San Diego: 1.05am PT (4.05am EST)

Hawaiian authorities have issued a chilling explainer ahead of an approaching tsunami.

‘A tsunami is a series of long ocean waves. Each individual wave crest can last 5 to 15 minutes or more and extensively flood coastal areas.

‘The danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive. Tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and the first wave may not be the largest.

‘Tsunami waves efficiently wrap around islands. All shores are at risk no matter which direction they face.

‘The trough of a tsunami wave may temporarily expose the seafloor but the area will quickly flood again.

Extremely strong and unusual nearshore currents can accompany a tsunami. Debris picked up and carried by a tsunami amplifies its destructive power.

‘Simultaneous high tides or high surf can significantly increase the tsunami hazard.’

Authorities in California are currently evaluating the threat, but have warned a tsunami could arrive as early as 12.15am local time.

‘Flooding of coastal regions is possible,’ authorities warned.

The Watch alert includes all coastal regions in the Bay Area and Central Coast, including San Francisco and San Pablo bays.

The Japan National Tourism Organization has started rolling out urgent warnings for regions which are at risk of 3 meter tsunami waves within hours.

The impacted regions are:

– coastal regions of Wakayama Prefecture

– coastal regions of Southern Part of Mie Prefecture

– coastal regions of Pacific Coast of Aichi Prefecture

– coastal regions of Shizuoka Prefecture

– coastal regions of Sagami Bay and Miura Peninsula

– coastal regions of Ogasawara Islands

– coastal regions of Izu Islands

– coastal regions of Uchibo Area, Chiba Prefecture

– coastal regions of Kujukuri and Sotobo Area, Chiba Prefecture

– coastal regions of Ibaraki Prefecture

– coastal regions of Fukushima Prefecture

– coastal regions of Miyagi Prefecture

– coastal regions of Iwate Prefecture

– coastal regions of Pacific Coast of Aomori Prefecture

– coastal regions of Western part of Pacific Coast of Hokkaido

– coastal regions of Central part of Pacific Coast of Hokkaido

– coastal regions of Eastern part of Pacific Coast of Hokkaido

Oahu Emergency Management has issued an urgent warning for residents to ‘take action’ now ahead of expected ‘destructive tsunami waves.’

People within evacuation areas on the island are uregd to seek higher ground or take shelter on the 4th floor or above of a building at least 10 stories high.

Russia’s Kamchatka’s Pensinsula has been placed under tsunami warning with residents urged to stay clear of the coastline.

A tsunami wave up to four meters tall has already been recorded in the region, authorities revealed.

Meanwhile, the Pacific coast of Japan is under a similar warning with fears that waves of up to 1 meter will reach the coast between 10am and 11am.

Similarly, residents have been warned to stay away from the coastline.

Authorities at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center have warned that ‘a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive’ to coastal areas.

It also warned that ‘waves reaching more than three meters above the tide level [or about 10 feet] are possible along some coasts of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.’

‘Prepare to evacuate vertically if warnings are issued,’ meteorologist Matthew Capucci warned.

Preliminary data from the US Geological Survey shows the quake reached a magnitude of 8.7 and struck about 84 miles east-southeast of Kamchatska at around 7.24pm EST.

It is the largest earthquake to hit since 2011, when a 9.1 megaquake hit northeast Japan.