First waves hit Hawaii and Japan after Russia earthquake triggers tsunami alerts

Tsunami alerts were issued for Japan, Russia and parts of the United States following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the Russian coast on Wednesday. Waves over a metre high have been reported in Hawaii and Japan.

The earthquake, which hit off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at around 11:24 local time (1:24 CET), was the strongest since 2011. A state of emergency has been declared in the northern part of the Kuril Islands, where the port city of Severo-Kurilsk has been flooded.

A 1.3-metre-high wave has been recorded at Kuji Port in Japan

Japan's meteorological agency has warned of waves up to three metres high. The agency reported that a 1.3-metre-high wave had been recorded at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture.

The BBC reported that local authorities had asked more than 1.9 million people to evacuate the east coast of Japan. According to local media, tidal waves up to 80 centimetres high were observed along the coastlines of other prefectures.

1.2-metre in Hawaii

The BBC also reported that a 1.2-metre wave had been recorded in Haleiwa on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The island's emergency services are warning people to stay outside the evacuation zone, which extends along the entire coastline, until further notice.

The Philippines is expecting waves of up to one metre in height that could persist for a long time. On Wednesday, the country's authorities closed all coastal schools. Tourist resorts and government buildings in high-risk areas have also been ordered to close.

Preventive evacuations

Waves of up to three metres could also reach the coast of Chile and the French Polynesian archipelago. Preventive evacuations are taking place in Peru and on the Galapagos Islands.

In Mexico, people are being urged to stay away from beaches on the Pacific coast. Sailing is prohibited, and tidal waves of up to one metre in height cannot be ruled out.

^{The city of Severo-Kurilsk in Russia flooded after being hit by an earthquake and an ensuing tsunami © THE KAMC/TASS VIA ZUMA PRESS}