Tsunami warnings issued for much of the Pacific

Tsunami waves have reached Hawaii following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s eastern coast, prompting tsunami alerts across the Pacific affecting countries from the US to Japan.

Waves as high as 6ft (1.8m) were measured at Midway Atoll, located between Japan and Hawaii. Hawaii governor Josh Green warned that waves in his state could be even larger, potentially causing significant damage.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported a tsunami as high as 60cm (2ft) along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. Officials cautioned about the possibility of larger waves later on.

Tsunami waves also hit parts of Japan’s Hokkaido and Russia’s Kuril Islands, with a tidal surge near Alaska’s Amchitka Island. Alerts were issued for the west coast of the US, Guam, the Philippines, the Northern Mariana Islands, Canada, Russia, Indonesia, and Japan.

In response to the tsunami warnings, Hawaii activated emergency measures, including suspending commercial flights and urging evacuations in at-risk areas like Keaukaha. President Donald Trump acknowledged the alerts and urged residents to stay safe.

The earthquake, initially reported as magnitude 8, was later upgraded to 8.8. Tsunami watches and advisories were issued for various regions, with authorities cautioning about the potential for dangerous waves and urging residents to evacuate to safe locations.

The earthquake in Russia's Kamchatka peninsula and Japan triggered evacuations and caused injuries. Japan issued tsunami advisories, with millions of people asked to evacuate. Authorities warned of the possibility of larger waves and advised residents to stay in safe areas until the warnings were lifted.

Tsunami warnings were also issued for the Philippines and Indonesia, with waves expected to reach certain areas. The Kamchatka earthquake is among the strongest ever recorded, sharing this rank with previous deadly earthquakes that caused significant destruction and loss of life.