A MONSTER earthquake has struck off the coast of Russia leading to evacuations in Japan and the US over a possible massive tsunami.
The magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake hit about 84 miles off the coast at around 7.24pm EST (12:30am BST) at a shallow depth of 19.3km (12 miles).
It is the 7th largest ever recorded and the largest since the 2011 shake which led to a tsunami that caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The first tsunami waves from today’s monster quake have already hit Russia and Japan.
A 4m (13ft) high wave was recorded in Kamchatka with waves inundating low lying areas and thousands evacuating.
Hawaii is now bracing for the possibility of 10-foot surges that could strike across the northern islands in the chain.
Locals in low lying and coastal areas in Japan and Hawaii are now heading for the hills with warning sirens blasting out across Honolulu.
Some 1.9m people in Japan have been ordered to evacuate with small waves already hitting the country.
Officials in Tokyo are saying that tsunami waves may last more than a day.
It’s a nightmare scenario for the country that suffered a nuclear disaster at Fukushima in 2011 caused by a tsunami.
Tsunami warnings have been issued for as far away as Indonesia, New Zealand and Peru.
Donald Trump posted: “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 currently active for Alaska and the U.S. Pacific Coast. Japan is also on alert. For up-to-date details, please visit tsunami.gov/. REMAIN STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
Follow our live blog for the latest updates…
Ports closed in Hawaii
The US coastguard has evacuated commercial vessels from Hawaiian ports – with all harbours shut to incoming traffic.
The coastguard said any vessels near Hawaii should stay offshore until waves have passed.
Whales wash up in Japan
Japanese TV is showing that four whales having either washed up or beached themselves following the massive earthquake and the ongoing tsunami.
Tsunami warning in China
China’s tsunami warning centre said it’s expecting waves measuring up to 1 metre to hit the country’s eastern coast.
The message stated: “The Tsunami Advisory Center at the Ministry of National Resources has confirmed that the earthquake has initiated a tsunami, likely to impact certain coastal regions in China.”
Tsunami sirens sound in California city
The small Northern California community of Crescent City turned on tsunami sirens to warn residents about possible waves.
It said: “You are hearing a Tsunami Siren. We are under a Tsunami Warning. Please stay away from beaches and waterways.
“A projected wave is expected to arrive at 11:55 PM. We are awaiting further details regarding possible evacuations,” read a message on the City Hall Facebook page.
The city has roughly 6,000 residents.
What do we know about the earthquake?
The magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake hit about 84 miles off the coast at around 7.24pm EST (12:30am BST) at a shallow depth of 19.3 km (12 miles).
It is the 7th largest ever recorded and appears to be the strongest since the 2011 quake which caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Multiple aftershocks have already hit, with the largest being a 6.9 magnitude quake.
Hawaii on alert
In Hawaii, Black Hawk helicopters have been “activated” and high-water vehicles are ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people.
Tsunami waves hit Hawaiian islands
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said 6ft tsunami waves have hit Midway Atoll – located between Japan and Hawaii.
He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be.
He warned that waves could move cars and throw fences around.
Gov Green said: “It can dislodge trees, that’s why you cant just be out there. The impact is at great speed.
“Any any structure that gets loose and strikes the individual could take them out.
“And people can drown quite easily with the force of that kind of wave.”
Trump warns about tsunami
US President Donald Trump has told warned those who could be in the path of the tsunami to take it seriously.
In a TruthSocial post, he stated: “Following a massive earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning has been issued for residents of Hawaii.
“A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the U.S. Pacific Coast. Japan is also on alert. For more information, visit tsunami.gov/.
“STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
Tsunami begins hitting Japan
The first waves are already hitting Japan, but they could last for more than a day and get much bigger.
Waves 3m (10ft) high could strike along the eastern coast, with evacuations now in place.
Pictures show warnings blaring across Japanese television channels.
State of emergency in Russia
Russia’s Sakhalin region has declared a state of emergency after the 8.8 magnitude quake hit.
Footage showed tsunami waves overwhelming a port town in the northern Kuril Islands.
Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said “everyone” in the area had been evacuated.
He said: “There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated, all the people are in the tsunami safety zone.”
Latest updates
- Tsunami waves are due to hit Hawaii imminently after 40cm waves hit Japan’s northern coast
- Nearly 2 million people have been evacuated in Japan
- Japanese authorities have warned that waves could continue for more than a day
- In California, people have been urged to stay away from the coast
- China, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Peru and Mexico have also issued tsunami alerts
Welcome to our live blog
Welcome to The Sun’s coverage of a massive 8.8 earthquake which has struck off the coast of Russia overnight.
Tsunami warnings are now in effect right across the Pacific with the first waves already hitting Japan and Russia.
Locals in Hawaii are being told to evacuate, with the possibility of 10ft waves striking the northern islands in the chain.
