Japan has issued a tsunami warning for its Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Wakayama following a powerful magnitude 8.7 earthquake that struck off the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday (30 July).
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake occurred at 8.25am local time (7.25am Singapore time) at a depth of 18.2km.
The agency initially issued a tsunami advisory, forecasting waves of around 1m, but later upgraded this to a warning, with expected waves of up to 3m.
The first waves were estimated to reach Japan’s Pacific coastline at around 10am Japan time (9am Singapore time).
As of the latest updates, waves between 20cm and 40cm have already been observed in Hokkaido, including in Nemuro, Kushiro, Tokachi, and Erimo.
The JMA has warned that tsunamis can strike repeatedly over an extended period and that later waves may be larger than the first.
Residents near coastal and riverside areas are urged to evacuate to higher ground and remain in safe locations until all warnings are officially lifted.
Professor Imamura Fumihiko of the International Research Institute of Disaster Science told NHK that tsunamis generated in this region may follow a similar pattern to the 1952 Kamchatka earthquake, when a tsunami of about 3m eventually reached Japan.
He cautioned that the largest waves could take more time to arrive.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
The impact of the earthquake extended beyond Japan.
According to reports from Russia’s Kamchatka region, waves of up to 4m hit some coastal areas, causing damage to buildings and prompting evacuations.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov described the quake as the strongest in decades.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
Tsunami warnings and advisories were also issued in other parts of the Pacific, including Hawaii, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) noted that the epicentre of this earthquake is located in roughly the same area as the 1952 temblor that triggered a destructive, Pacific-wide tsunami.
In Japan, precautionary evacuations were carried out in several coastal towns.
Authorities have also suspended some train services and temporarily evacuated workers from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, though no abnormalities have been reported at the site.
Also read: What is the Nankai Trough & how worried should people travelling to Japan be?
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Featured image adapted from the Japan Meteorological Agency.