Waves as high as 10 feet are expected to hit Hawaii following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia. Authorities across the Pacific are on high alert following the undersea earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula that has triggered tsunami warnings stretching from the northern Kuril Islands to the Hawaiian archipelago and as far east as the western coastline of the United States.

The first waves have already hit Alaska in the north.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has confirmed that tsunami waves have already begun impacting coastlines. The tallest wave currently recorded in Hawaii reached 4 feet (1.2 metres) in Haleiwa, on the north shore of Oahu. The waves arrived at roughly 12-minute intervals.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck at approximately 03:17 local time off the coast near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia’s sparsely populated Far East. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), this is one of the ten most powerful earthquakes recorded globally in modern history.

The quake was followed by a series of strong aftershocks, including one registering at 6.9 magnitude.

Tsunami warnings are currently in effect for the state of Hawaii, parts of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, and select portions of Northern California. Several other US Pacific coastal regions remain under tsunami advisories. Estimated wave arrival times vary across locations, with ongoing surveillance by both the PTWC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate coastal areas. Some municipalities set up security perimeters along popular beach areas, including Inage Beach in Chiba prefecture.