Police officers ask people evacuate an empty beach due to a tsunami warningis hit parts of Russia’s Far East and Japan on July 30 after a huge magnitude 8.8 earthquak (Image: YUICHI YAMAZAKI, AFP via Getty Images)
The Foreign Office has today issued a warning for 17 countries, advising travellers to ‘follow the advice of local authorities’.
One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded has hit Russia’s far east, an 8.8-magnitude tremor that triggered tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and sparked warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America, and the Pacific islands stretching as far south as New Zealand.
In its update, the Foreign Office stated: “Earthquake in the Kamchatka Peninsular Region. An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.7 has struck the eastern coast of Russia in the Kamchatka Peninsula region.
“A tsunami threat message has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. If you are in the affected areas potentially affected by the earthquake or tsunami you should follow the advice of the local authorities.”
The warning applies to anyone travelling to or currently in the Philippines, Canada, Taiwan, China, Tonga, New Zealand, Russia, Ecuador, Solomon Islands, Japan, Samoa, USA, Peru, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Costa Rica, Chile.
The Foreign Office added: “An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.7 has struck the eastern coast of Russia in the Kamchatka Peninsula region. A tsunami threat message has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.
“If you are in the affected areas potentially affected by the earthquake or tsunami you should follow the advice of the local authorities.”
Ports along Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula near the earthquake’s epicentre were swamped as locals evacuated inland, whilst white foam surged onto shores across northern Japan.
Vehicles clogged streets and main routes in Honolulu, with gridlocked traffic extending even to areas distant from the coastline.
Residents were urged to seek higher ground throughout much of the Pacific region and cautioned that the potential threat could persist for over 24 hours.
Most locations where tsunami surges have already reached land have reported minimal substantial damage thus far.
Tsunami heights of 10-13ft were measured in Kamchatka, 2ft on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, and up to 1.4 feet above normal tide levels were observed in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
The tsunami’s effects could continue for hours or potentially more than a day, according to Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Centre in Alaska.
“A tsunami is not just one wave,” he said.
“It’s a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour – as fast as a jet aeroplane – in deep water.
“But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that’s where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there.
“In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they’re going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,” which explains why some communities may experience prolonged effects, he added. Hawaii governor Josh Green revealed data from Midway Atoll, positioned between Japan and Hawaii, recorded waves measuring 6ft from peak to trough.
He explained waves striking Hawaii could prove larger or smaller, with authorities unable to predict their exact size at this early stage.
A tsunami of such magnitude would resemble a 3ft wave surging atop existing surf, he explained.
“This is a longitudinal wave with great force driving through the shoreline and into land,” he declared during a press conference.
Mr Green confirmed Black Hawk helicopters had been deployed whilst high-water vehicles stood ready should authorities require them for rescue operations.
“But please do not put yourself in harm’s way,” he urged.
The earthquake struck at 8.25am Japan time (12.25am BST) with a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, according to Japanese and US seismologists.
The US Geological Survey subsequently revised its strength to 8.8 magnitude, stating the quake occurred at a depth of 13 miles.
The tremor was centred approximately 74 miles east-southeast from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, home to a population of 180,000, situated on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Multiple aftershocks reaching magnitudes as powerful as 6.9 subsequently followed.
The initial tsunami wave struck the coastal region of Severo-Kurilsk, the principal settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, local governor Valery Limarenko confirmed.
He stated residents remained safe whilst sheltering on elevated ground until the danger of subsequent waves had passed. Approximately 2,700 individuals were evacuated to safety on the Kuril Islands following a severe earthquake.
Buildings suffered damage and cars were seen swaying in the streets of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Several people sought medical assistance in Kamchatka after the quake, according to Russian news agencies citing the regional Health Ministry, but no serious injuries have been reported.
This earthquake is believed to be the most powerful worldwide since the 9.0 magnitude quake off north-eastern Japan in March 2011, which triggered a colossal tsunami and subsequent nuclear power plant meltdowns. Only a handful of stronger earthquakes have ever been recorded globally.
The tsunami warning caused transportation disruptions in Japan, with some services at ferries, trains and airports in the affected area being suspended or delayed.
A 2ft tsunami was registered at Hamanaka town in Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate, as per the Japan Meteorological Agency. Smaller waves were reported in several areas, including an 8in wave in Tokyo Bay five hours post-quake.
In Matsushima, a northern coastal town in Japan, dozens of residents sought shelter at an evacuation centre where water bottles were handed out and air conditioning was provided. One individual told NHK that she didn’t hesitate to come to the facility, having learned from the 2011 tsunami.
Japanese nuclear power stations have reported no irregularities. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which was damaged by the 2011 tsunami, stated that approximately 4,000 workers are seeking refuge on higher ground at the plant complex whilst remotely monitoring to ensure the safety of the plant.