A strong earthquake that hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, June 30, triggered tsunami warnings and evacuation orders for Japan, parts of Russia, Alaska and the Pacific. The tremors occurred at 8:25am (2325 GMT Tuesday), registering a preliminary magnitude of 8.0. The magnitude was later upgraded to 8.7.
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Dangerous tsunami waves, some of them as high as 3m, could reportedly reach areas along the coasts of Russia, Japan and other places in the next few hours. According to latest alerts, here’s how high the waves could be in Russia, Japan, Hawaii, and California and more, as reported by The Guardian:
- Russia could see waves greater than 3 metres.
- Japan could see waves of 1 to 3 metres.
- Hawaii could see waves of 1 to 3 metres.
- Pacific islands including Midway Island, Johnston Atoll and Palmyra Island could see waves of 1 to 3 metres.
- Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Philippines could see waves of 0.3 to 1 metres.
- It is unclear how high the waves will be in California. Should a tsunami be generated, it is likely to reach San Francisco around 12:40 am Wednesday, which is about seven hours after the earthquake.
Estimated wave arrival times in the US
Estimated wave arrival times in the United States range from 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, in Northern California cities like Fort Bragg and Crescent City to about 1 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, in Southern California locations, including Newport Beach, Oceanside, and La Jolla, according to Visalia Times Delta.
{{/usCountry}}Estimated wave arrival times in the United States range from 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, in Northern California cities like Fort Bragg and Crescent City to about 1 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, in Southern California locations, including Newport Beach, Oceanside, and La Jolla, according to Visalia Times Delta.
{{/usCountry}}The tsunami watch extended down the West Coast, including Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska. In Hawaii, the estimated arrival time of the first tsunami wave is 10:17 p.m. Pacific time or 7:17 p.m. Hawaii time. It is around 9:30 p.m. for parts of Alaska.
"This is a significant, real event," said Reid Wolcott, a meteorologist with the weather service in Seattle. "The imminent threat is for Alaska and areas near the quake. The National Tsunami Warning Center needs additional observation information before more is known about the threat to the US West Coast."