Japan and the US on tsunami alert after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia

China deactivates tsunami warnings in Shanghai and Zhejiang, while the warnings continue in Taiwan.

Likewise, several Latin American countries have issued widespread alerts. Chilean President Gabriel Boric has indicated on social media that the most affected regions will be Atacama, Coquimbo, and Valparaíso. Authorities in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru have also issued similar warnings, and Mexico has urged residents to avoid coastal areas for the time being. It has deployed troops to these locations. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have emphasized that a tsunami is expected to affect several areas in the east of the country, although it is expected to reach less than one meter in height.

The Russian city of Severo-Kurilsk, in the Pacific, has recorded waves of five meters caused by the earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has ordered the evacuation of workers from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Just this Tuesday, the operating company announced that the removal of hundreds of tons of radioactive debris had been delayed until 2037. Around 880 tons of hazardous material remain inside the power plant, the site of one of the worst nuclear accidents in history after the tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in 2011.

The Japanese government has ordered the evacuation of two million people living in coastal areas to prevent deaths and injuries once the waves reach the coast. This primarily affects areas of Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Fukushima, Chiba, Ibaraki, and Wakayama, among others, where waves are expected to reach heights of three meters.

The earthquake, initially classified as a magnitude 7.7, struck at around 8:25 a.m. (Russian time) and prompted the government to declare a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands. "A tsunami threat has been declared, and the strength of the waves is still being determined," explained Vladimir Solodov, governor of Kamchatka.

Josh Green, Governor of Hawaii, has reassured citizens by announcing that the situation is under control, although waves of more than 1.5 meters are being recorded: "We expect it to take at least two or three hours until we can consider the situation over. So far, everything is fine," he said at a press conference, confirming that they do not plan to cut off the electricity supply.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has announced the closure of all ports and the cancellation of flights to and from Maui, Hawaii.

Several whales have appeared on the coast of Japan following the tsunami warning in the Pacific. So far, waves recorded along Japan's east coast are much lower than the initial forecast of 3 meters, although that could change.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center records waves of more than one meter in Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii, every 12 minutes.

The Philippines, Indonesia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Taiwan issued tsunami warnings on Wednesday following the earthquake in Russia.

Hawaii is urging residents to take shelter on rooftops. Waves of over a meter are already being recorded on the north shore of Oahu.

The Spanish Embassy in Japan has asked Spaniards in Japan to follow the instructions of local authorities and consult the alerts for their area in response to the tsunami warning issued by the 8.7 magnitude earthquake that struck early this morning off the coast of Kamchatka, in the far east of Russia. "Tsunami warnings have been issued in various parts of the coast. Please continue to consult the alerts for your area and follow the instructions of local authorities.

Japan has recorded its first tsunami measuring 1.3 meters, according to NHK.

The power grid in Russia's Sakhalin region has been damaged by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

Japan has ordered the evacuation of 1.9 million citizens. It has issued a warning that tsunami waves could continue for more than a day.

Authorities in the Sakhalin region of Russia's Far East declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in the northern Kuril Islands, where tsunami waves damaged buildings and caused flooding. "A state of emergency has been declared in the Northern Kuril District, where an earthquake and tsunami occurred today," the Sakhalin regional government said in a statement.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry said a tsunami flooded parts of the town of Severo-Kurilsk in the Kuril Islands. Local Russian media reported that a tsunami measuring three to four meters was recorded in the Elizovski district of Kamchatka. "The walls were shaking," a resident of Elizovski told state-run Zvedza. "Luckily, we had packed a suitcase, with water and clothes near the door. We quickly grabbed it and ran."

Good morning! An 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka, in Russia's far east, has triggered tsunami warnings for Russia's Pacific coast and the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii, while warnings have been issued for Guam and Japan.