Tsunami highlights | Galapagos Islands order evacuations as warnings rock Pacific

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Magnitude 8.8 quake hits Kamtchatka, causes tsunami

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, generating a tsunami of up to 4 metres (13 feet), damaging buildings and prompting evacuation warnings in the area and across most of Japan's east coast.

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Tsunami Alert LIVE | Quake off Russia's Kamchatka strongest since 1952

The earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday was the strongest since 1952 and triggered dangerous tsunami waves along the coast, the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said.

"Given the scale of this event, we should expect strong aftershocks, possibly with magnitudes up to 7.5," the Service said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

"Significant, noticeable aftershocks with magnitudes up to 7.5 are expected to continue for at least another month." (Reuters)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Where have tsunami warnings been issued?

Russia: Warnings were issued for two of the Kuril islands, Paramushir and Shumshu, and the Kamchatka region. 

Japan: Authorities in Japan said the height of the tsunami along the country’s Pacific coast could reach 3 meters, or 10 feet. A ferry linking the main Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido was suspended, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.

China: Eastern parts of China is likely to be affected too, with one metre high waves expected in the eastern seaboard.

Long reach: The impact of the quake rippled across vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, sparking warnings for Hawaii and Alaska, and prompting advisories as far away as Mexico and Chile, where the US Tsunami Warning System warned that waves could be nearly 10 feet high.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Trump issues warning for those in Hawaii, Alaska, US West Coast

"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 https://tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!," the US President posted.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Indian Consulate in San Francisco warns of potential tsunami, urges caution

"Indian nationals in California, other US West Coast states, and Hawaii are advised to take the following steps:-

▶️Follow Local Alerts: Carefully monitor alerts from US authorities, including local emergency management and the US Tsunami Warning Centers.

▶️Move to higher ground if Tsunami Alert is issued.

▶️Avoid Coastal Areas.

▶️Prepare for Emergency & Keep devices charged.

Emergency Helpline number [phone] or reach through email on [e-mail].," the Consulate said.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Tsunami alert issued in Mexico as well

Authorities in Mexico urged residents to avoid Pacific coast beaches, news agency AFP reported, with the Mexican Navy warning that strong currents are expected at port entrances from Baja California in the northwest to Chiapas in the south of Mexico.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Latest visuals from Japan amid tsunami alert

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Workers evacuated from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant

Amid a tsunami warning, workers have been evacuated from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, which suffered a catastrophic meltdown in 2011 after being hit by a Tsunami. (Reuters)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Latest visuals from Hawaii amid tsunami warning in Pacific

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Hawaii declares emergency amid tsunami warning

Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii declared an emergency on Tuesday ahead of a tsunami that was expected to reach the state within hours, after a rare 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s eastern coast.

Sirens and cellphone alerts blared across Hawaii’s islands on Tuesday afternoon. The first wave was expected to arrive at 7:10 pm local time, the state’s emergency authorities said.

Green said on social media that emergency operations centers had been fully activated, and he urged residents to take the situation seriously.

“If you are in a coastal area, move inland and to higher ground immediately. Do not wait,” he said. (NYT)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Kamchatka quake could be one the largest ever recorded

The colossal magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s coast early Wednesday is set to be one of the largest ever recorded if its magnitude is not revised down by scientists studying the data.

The quake is tied for the sixth-largest on record, according to the US Geological Survey. It is the most powerful since the 2011 earthquake off Japan’s east coast, which triggered the Fukushima tsunami and nuclear disaster.

That quake, which had a magnitude of 9.1, was about 2.8 times stronger than Wednesday’s. It killed more than 15,000 people and displaced 130,000 more, and created a tsunami 50 feet tall that rushed inland for miles with the speed of a locomotive, swallowing everything in its path and flooding more than 200 miles of shoreline.

For each whole-number increase in magnitude, the seismic energy released by a quake increases by about 31.6 times, according to the US Geological Survey. This means that a magnitude 8.8 earthquake produces about 31.6 times more energy than a magnitude 7.8 quake.

The strongest earthquake ever recorded, according to the US Geological Survey, was the magnitude 9.5 quake off the coast of Chile in 1960. It killed 1,655 people and displaced 2 million more. (NYT)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | California Guv announces tsunami alert along north coast

"A tsunami warning is now in effect along parts of California’s North Coast — from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border," Governor Newsom said.

Russia Earthquake LIVE | Tsunami likely to hit parts of eastern China, says govt

Media reports, citing China's tsunami warning centre, said that waves of between 30 centimetres and one metre were expected to hit parts of the eastern seaboard after a magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Major tsunami could hit any time in next 24 hours, says Japan

Japanese authorities said that a major tsunami could hit the island nation any time in the next 24 hours, stating that the risk from the Kamchatka quake would hold for over a day. (Reuters)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Emergency declared in quake-hit regions of Sakhalin

Russian authorities in the Sakhalin region on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands, where tsunami waves have damaged buildings and caused flooding.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Peru issues tsunami alert after Kamchatka quake

Peru became the latest in a long list of nations to issue a tsunami warning after a monster quake struck Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region, reported news agency Reuters.

Several nations along the Pacific Ocean have issued tsunami warnings in the wake of the quake, with waves expected to cross 10 feet in height.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Visuals from Kamchatka as first waves hit

The extent of damage in Russia from the powerful earthquake and tsunami off the Kamchatka peninsula was still unclear as of Wednesday morning.

The undersea earthquake struck at 11:24 am local time Tuesday, 78 miles from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchastky, the administrative seat of Kamchatka Oblast, according to the US Geological Survey. Minutes later, Gov. Vladimir Solodov placed Kamchatka under a tsunami warning.

Gov. Valery Limarenko of Sakhalin Oblast declared an emergency in the Severo-Kurilsk district, south of Kamchatka. Videos showed seawater inundating coastal buildings in Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir island. Paramushir and Shumshu, both part of the Kuril Islands, were placed under a tsunami warning soon after the quake.

There were no casualties reported from the tsunami, and all 2,400 residents of Severo-Kurilsk had been evacuated, Limarenko said on Telegram. (NYT)

Tsunami waves flood an area after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, in Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin Region, Russia, July 30, 2025, in this still image taken from video. Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Waves reach Japan; Hawaii braces for impact

Japan recorded tsunami waves 1.3 metres in height, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said that waves reaching Hawaii were 4 feet above normal levels.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green also told Reuters that all flights in and out of Maui had been cancelled in the view of the tsunami.

Vacationers stand on balconies at the Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel looking towards Waikiki Beach after authorities warned of tsunami waves, following an earthquake which earlier struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, in Honolulu, Hawaii, US July 29, 2025.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Kamchatka main quake followed by 30 tremors, geophysical service says

Thirty additional tremors were recorded following the main earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East on Wednesday, a regional branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said.

The tremors had a magnitude of between 2 and 5, the Service said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. (Reuters)

Russia Earthquake LIVE | Tsunami waves in Severo-Kurilsk were over 3 metres tall

The height of tsunami waves in the Russian Pacific town of Severo-Kurilsk exceeded three metres, and the most powerful was as big as five metres, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday, citing emergency services. (Reuters)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Hawaii has seen no sign of major wave since alert, governor says

Hawaiian authorities have seen no sign of a significant wave since beginning preparations for a tsunami after a powerful earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, governor Josh Green said late on Tuesday.

Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency said all commercial harbours had been closed and flights cancelled in and out of the island of Maui, but there were no plans to shut off power. (Reuters)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Latest visuals from Japan after alert sounded

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Waves reach California after mega quake in Russia

Tsunami waves 1.6 feet above normal sea level reached California on Wedneday, hours after an 8.8 magnitude quake struck Russia's far east.

California had earlier sounded a tsunami warning, and the Indian Consulate in San Francisco had issued an advisory to citizens in the state.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Warnings extended to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu

The US Embassy told Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu to be on alert, with the tsunami potentially hitting the islands, reported Reuters.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | In Japan, warning resurfaces memories of 2011 Fukushima disaster

IAEA experts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the aftermath of the 2011 disaster.

Residents across Japan's Pacific coast rushed to higher ground on Wednesday as tsunami warnings following a massive earthquake off Russia's Far East resurfaced painful memories and lessons from the devastating 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster.

Television banners flashed "TSUNAMI! EVACUATE!" and similar warnings as most broadcasters cut regular programming to issue warnings and focus on evacuation orders, as tsunami waves approached Japan's shores.

"Do not be glued to the screen. Evacuate now!" a news presenter at public broadcaster NHK shouted.

The warnings resurfaced memories of the March 11, 2011, earthquake, when more than 15,000 people died after a 9.0-magnitude tremor triggered a massive tsunami that tore through the Fukushima nuclear power plant and caused a radioactive disaster.

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Tsunami Alert LIVE | No major impact on Hawaii; warning lifted for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan

A major tsunami is not expected to strike Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said, hours after an alert was issued.

The tsunami threat has also passed for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan, Reuters reported.

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Warning for French Polynesia after Russia earthquake

Local authorities in French Polynesia have issued a tsunami warning for the Marquesas Islands archipelago, with waves of 1.10 to 2.20 metres expected to hit the islands of Ua Huka, Nuku Hiva, and Hiva Oa overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The warnings follow a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

Residents were urged to move to higher ground and follow official instructions, including securing boats or moving them away from the shore.

Other archipelagos in French Polynesia may be affected by waves less than 30 cm high, which do not require evacuation or sheltering, local authorities said.

French Polynesia covers 4,200 sq km of the Pacific Ocean, roughly the area of continental Europe. It consists of 118 islands, grouped into five archipelagos. (Reuters)

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Latest visuals from Japan as warning disrupts daily life

Tsunami Alert LIVE | Hawaii lifts evacuation order after tsunami alert downgraded

Hawaii and parts of Japan downgraded their tsunami warnings to advisories, reports AP.

Tsunami LIVE updates | French Pacific Marquesas islands warn of imminent 4-metre tsunami waves

Authorities in French Polynesia warned the population of several of the Marquesas Islands to expect tsunami waves up to 4 metres high 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 am 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. (Reuters)

Tsunami LIVE updates | Russian authorities lift tsunami warning for far east Kamchatka region and Sakhalin

Tsunami LIVE updates | Japan lifts all warnings, downgrades to tsunami advisory

Tsunami LIVE updates | Chile upgrades tsunami warning for most of its Pacific coast to the highest level

Tsunami LIVE updates | Volcano erupts after quake in Russia's far east

The Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia's far east erupted on Wednesday, Russian Geophysical Survey said, hours after a major quake prompted evacuations and tsunami alerts across parts of the Pacific coast. (AFP)

Tsunami LIVE updates | Galapagos Islands order evacuations as tsunami warnings rock Pacific

Tsunami warning representative image.

Authorities in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands on Wednesday ordered the precautionary evacuation of people living in vulnerable coastal areas, after a massive earthquake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities in the islands, some 970 km (600 miles) off South America's western coast, said people living in these vulnerable areas should make their ways to safe zones established by the country's emergency management agency. (Reuters)

Tsunami LIVE updates | Peru shuts half its ports as it gears for tsunami

People board a train during an evacuation following a tsunami advisory generated by local authorities, after an earthquake struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting warnings and evacuations stretching across at the South Pacific, in Vina del Mar, Chile, July 30, 2025.

Peru on Wednesday closed 65 of its 121 Pacific ports as a tsunami alert was issued following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia. (AFP)