LIVE - Tsunami alert: 3-meter waves expected in the Pacific, Fukushima plant evacuated in Japan

According to Flightradar24, passenger planes bound for Hawaii are diverting from the archipelago to airports in Los Angeles or San Diego, California, although Hawaiian airports are currently still open.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported a magnitude 8 earthquake, before raising its magnitude to 8.7, and finally to 8.8. It was the strongest earthquake to hit the planet since 2011 and the sixth most powerful ever recorded.

It occurred around 23:25 GMT on Tuesday at a depth of 20.7 km, about 126 km from the capital of the Kamchatka region in Russia's Far East. At least six aftershocks shook the region, including one of magnitude 6.9 and another of magnitude 6.3, according to the USGS. The Kamchatka Seismological Service warned that aftershocks of up to magnitude 7.5 are expected in the coming days.

Waves of one to three meters are possible along some coasts of French Polynesia, the US Tsunami Center (PTWC) warned, after an earthquake struck Tuesday off the Russian coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula (east).

"Tsunami waves of up to one to three meters above sea level are possible along some coasts" of several Pacific territories, including French Polynesia, the PTWC, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, said in a statement.

"The Geophysics Laboratory informed the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia of a potential impact" on the territory, during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, the authorities announced. The High Commission specified that "an ocean wave" was heading "towards the coasts of the Marquesas, with a maximum height of 2.60 m." "The other archipelagos of French Polynesia, notably the Leeward Islands, should be affected by a water height of less than 30 cm," it added.

The center also said New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna could be hit by waves ranging from "30 centimeters to one meter" above sea level.

In numerous videos visible on social media, major traffic jams are reported in Hawaii as residents try to flee coastal areas by car in anticipation of a tsunami.

The estimated time of arrival of the first tsunami wave in Hawaii is 7:17 p.m. local time (HST), 5:17 a.m. (Paris time). Authorities have activated warning sirens. This is the first tsunami warning for Hawaii since 2012.

The Mexican government ordered Civil Protection on Wednesday to keep people away from the Pacific coast after a tsunami warning following an 8.7 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia.

The Mexican Navy said in a report that it expects "strong currents at the entrance to ports" from the state of Baja California (northwest) to Chiapas (south), on the west coast of the country.

US President Donald Trump tweeted: "Following a massive earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, a tsunami warning is in effect for Hawaii. A tsunami watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific coast of the United States. Japan is also affected. Visit https://tsunami.gov for the latest information. Stay strong and safe!"

Employees at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in eastern Japan, which suffered an accident in 2011, were evacuated on Wednesday following a tsunami warning issued after a powerful earthquake off the Russian coast, announced Tepco, the site's operator.

"We have evacuated all workers and employees," a Tepco spokeswoman told AFP, adding that "no anomalies were observed" at the site. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was devastated by a historic earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 and is currently being dismantled.

Waves over 3 meters high are possible on the coast of Ecuador, warns the USGS.

The first tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake off the Russian coast, which triggered warnings in the Pacific, was observed in northern Japan, with a height of about 30 centimeters, NHK television reported.

Following the tsunami that struck the northern island of Hokkaido, NHK warned that subsequent tsunamis could be much higher. Japan's meteorological agency previously announced that waves of up to 3 meters were expected along Japan's northern and eastern coasts, as far south as Osaka.

A tsunami in the Pacific Ocean caused flooding in Severo-Kurilsk, in the north of Russia's Kuril Islands, on Wednesday, the Emergency Situations Ministry announced.

"The tsunami flooded parts of the port city of Severo-Kurilsk (...) The population has been evacuated," the ministry said in a statement. Videos posted on social media showed buildings flooded in the town of about 2,000 people.

A tsunami warning has just been issued for British Columbia, Canada, while residents of coastal areas in the Philippines are being urged to stay away from beaches. New Zealand has warned of strong waves and urged extreme caution.

The 8.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Wednesday off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Russia's Pacific coast was the most powerful in the region since 1952, the regional seismological service said, warning of strong aftershocks to come.

"The strongest earthquake since 1952 has just occurred in the Kamchatka seismic zone (...) Given the scale of the event, strong aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 are expected," the Kamchatka geophysical service wrote on Telegram.

Japan has ordered the immediate evacuation of parts of the country, announcing that tsunami waves are approaching the coast, NHK reports. Some railway lines have been suspended. "Residents in areas where warnings have been issued should immediately evacuate to safe locations, such as higher ground or evacuation buildings," government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi urged.

The Japanese alert covers the entire northern and eastern coast of the archipelago, as far south as Osaka, as well as the smaller outlying islands. Beyond that, as well as in Tokyo and Osaka Bays, the tsunami could reach 1 m.

On July 20, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, followed by numerous aftershocks, occurred in the same area, without causing major damage. The Kamchatka Peninsula is the meeting point of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making the region one of the most seismically active zones on the planet. The Russian peninsula, which separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean, is "one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world," according to the U.S. National Geophysical Service.

Several people were injured Wednesday in the Kamchatka Peninsula on Russia's Pacific coast when a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck near the coast and triggered a tsunami, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing regional health authorities.

"I urge everyone to stay away from the coast in tsunami-threatened areas and listen to loudspeaker announcements," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov wrote on Telegram.

Hawaii residents have received "extreme" alerts: "You are in danger! Move to higher ground or inland NOW!" it reads. Residents are urged to seek shelter "at least on the 4th floor in buildings 10 stories or higher."

All of the U.S. Pacific coasts, from Alaska to California, including Oregon and Washington, are under varying alert levels. Waves between 1 and 3 meters high could also hit the U.S. islands of Guam and Hawaii, the U.S. tsunami center said.

A tsunami of up to 3 meters could hit the coast of Japan, according to an updated warning from Japanese authorities, after an 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula around 23:25 GMT on Tuesday.

The tsunami could hit the Pacific coast of the archipelago between 1:00 and 2:30 GMT, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

The earthquake off the coast of Russia measured 8.7 magnitude, the USGS said. It was the most powerful earthquake recorded since 2011 and among the 10 most powerful on record .

A one-meter-high tsunami could hit Japan's coast after a magnitude 8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula around 11:25 PM GMT on Tuesday, Japanese authorities warned. "Tsunamis will occur repeatedly. Do not venture out to sea or approach the coast until the alert is lifted," the meteorological authority warned.

A tsunami warning was issued by US authorities after a magnitude 8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at around 23:25 GMT on Tuesday, July 29, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) . The quake occurred at a depth of 19.3 kilometers, about 136 kilometers from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital of the Kamchatka region.