Has tsunami hit Hawaii yet? Here's when waves will reach Los Angeles, California and Alaska

The first tsunami waves were recorded in Hawaii as the buoy data near Nawiliwili confirmed movement across the coast on Tuesday

The first tsunami waves were recorded in Hawaii as the buoy data near Nawiliwili confirmed movement across the coast, and water quickly receded at Hanalei Bay on Kauai late on Tuesday. The tsunami, triggered by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, has put several West Coast states on alert. The NWS and local authorities warned about dangerous conditions in Alaska, Hawaii, and California.

A tsunami took the first tsunami hit on Tuesday (AFP)

Hawaii Governor Josh Green has urged continued evacuations, warning of potentially larger waves and flooding that could persist for hours, though no major damage has been confirmed yet.

Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of 6 feet (1.8 meters).

He told a news conference that a wave that size could move cars and throw fences around.

“It can dislodge trees, that’s why you can’t just be out there. The impact is at great speed,” Green said. “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.”

When will tsunami hit California and Hawaii?

As per the latest NWS press release, the tsunami triggered by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Kamchatka is expected to reach Northern California by 2:50 AM ET and reach the San Francisco Bay around 3:40 AM ET. Southern California, including Los Angeles, is expected to take a hit at around 4 AM ET.

"Tsunamis typically arrive as a series of waves, which can be dangerous for many hours after the first wave," the weather service warned.

Alaska's western Aleutian Islands already took the first hit. Southeast Alaska is expected to see the arrival of the tsunami around 12:45 AM-1:55 AM ET.