Japan’s meteorological agency issued an advisory for a tsunami of up to 1 metre along the Pacific coast of Japan. (Image: PTI)
Moments after Japan issued a warning, a tsunami struck coastal regions of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido early Wednesday following a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake near the eastern coast of Russia. Japan’s Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for Tokyo Bay, upgrading expected wave heights to three meters.
A massive undersea earthquake jolted Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering tsunami waves that struck the remote coastal town of Severo-Kurilsk in the Sakhalin region. As per the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck at a depth of approximately 74 kilometres (46 miles) beneath the seabed, with tremors felt across vast swathes of the northwest Pacific.
The US National Weather Service’s Tsunami Warning System has issued tsunami warnings for Hawaii and parts of Alaska, with a watch in effect from the California-Mexico border to Chignik Bay, Alaska. Guam is also under a tsunami watch.
The warning system indicated potential tsunami waves could impact Japan, the Philippines, Russia and several Pacific islands, including Yap and the Marshall Islands.
Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco Under Tsunami Watch
A tsunami watch alert has been issued for the entire western coastline. The US Tsunami Warning Center and the National Weather Service confirmed the tsunami watch extends from the California-Mexico border all the way to Chignik Bay, Alaska.
The alert includes major US cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. Northern parts of Alaska are under a tsunami advisory or warning, with residents in some Aleutian areas urged to evacuate tsunami hazard zones immediately.
The powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 46 miles and was strong enough to trigger tsunami alerts across the Pacific. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) emphasised that while a tsunami has not yet been confirmed, residents along the West Coast should stay alert and prepared to take action.
AloJapan.com