Gridlocked roads in Hawaii

Drivers are seen waiting in huge queues of traffic as they try to flee Waikiki, Oahu.

‘Lay low tonight’

Hawaii’s governor Josh Green said they have so far “not seen a wave of consequence.”

He said: “We still have not seen any wave activity come past the Big Island. That’s important.

“Until we see what happens on the Big Island, we won’t feel we’re in a position to start saying that we’re in the clear.”

This could take up to three hours, he said.

Gov Green added: “Just lay low tonight and watch TV, please.”

What is a tsunami?

Tsunamis are waves triggered by earthquakes, underwater volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides.

After an underwater earthquake, the seafloor rises and drops, which lifts water up and down. The energy from this pushes sea water that transfers to waves.

Many people think of tsunamis as one wave – but they are typically multiple waves that hit the shore like a fast-rising tide.

Many tsunamis are small and don’t cause damage, but others can cause massive destruction.

In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Indonesia – causing waves that levelled remote villages, ports and tourist resorts along the Indian Ocean across Southeast and South Asia

Galapagos Islands partly evacuated

Ecuador has begun to evacuate parts of the Galapagos Islands with the idyllic isles sitting in the middle of the Pacific.

Evacuations are happening for beaches, docks and low-lying coastal areas.

‘Take action NOW!’

Officials in Oahu, Hawaii have urged residents to “take action”.

Oahu Emergency Management wrote on X: “Tsunami waves are currently impacting Hawaii. Take Action NOW!”

Watch water recede from Hawaii before wave

Beluga whales wash ashore in Russia

Five beluga whales washed ashore in Russia’s region of Kamchatka after water receded due to the tsunami.

Residents were seen throwing water over the whales to try and save them.

16ft waves hit Russia

Tsunami waves in the Russian Pacific town of Severo-Kurilsk exceeded 9ft – and the most powerful was as big as 16ft, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

‘Get to high ground now’

Hawaii residents urged to “move to high ground or inland now” in an emergency alert – warning of “powerful waves and strong currents”.

First waves hit Hawaii

Tsunami waves are now hitting Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

Water levels were recorded above 4ft in Haleiwa on the north shore of Hawaii’s Oahu island.

Ports closed in Hawaii

The US coastguard has evacuated commercial vessels from Hawaiian ports – with all harbours shut to incoming traffic.

The coastguard said any vessels near Hawaii should stay offshore until waves have passed.

Whales wash up in Japan

Japanese TV is showing that four whales having either washed up or beached themselves following the massive earthquake and the ongoing tsunami.

Tsunami warning in China

China’s tsunami warning centre said it’s expecting waves measuring up to 1 metre to hit the country’s eastern coast.

It said: “The Tsunami Advisory Center of the Ministry of National Resources has determined that the earthquake has triggered a tsunami, which is expected to cause damage to certain coastal areas of China.”

Tsunami sirens sound in California city

The small Northern California community of Crescent City turned on tsunami sirens to warn residents about possible waves.

It said: “You are hearing a Tsunami Siren. We are under a Tsunami Warning. Please stay away from beaches and waterways.

“A predicted wave may hit at 11.55pm. We are waiting on additional information about any level of evacuation, read a post from the City Hall Facebook account.”

The city has roughly 6,000 residents.

What do we know about the earthquake?

The magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake hit about 84 miles off the coast at around 7.24pm EST (12:30am BST) at a shallow depth of 19.3 km (12 miles).

It is the 7th largest ever recorded and appears to be the strongest since the 2011 quake which caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Multiple aftershocks have already hit, with the largest being a 6.9 magnitude quake.

Hawaii on alert

In Hawaii, Black Hawk helicopters have been “activated” and high-water vehicles are ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people.

Tsunami waves hit group of islands

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said 6ft tsunami waves have hit Midway Atoll – located between Japan and Hawaii.

He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be.

He warned that waves could move cars and throw fences around.

Gov Green said: “It can dislodge trees, that’s why you cant just be out there. The impact is at great speed.

“Any 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.”

Trump warns about tsunami

US President Donald Trump has told warned those who could be in the path of the tsunami to take it seriously.

He said in a post to TruthSocial: “Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii.

“A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit tsunami.gov/ for the latest information.

“STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”

Tsunami begins hitting Japan

The first waves are already hitting Japan, but they could last for more than a day and get much bigger.

Waves 3m (10ft) high could strike along the eastern coast, with evacuations now in place.

Pictures show warnings blaring across Japanese television channels.

State of emergency in Russia

Russia’s Sakhalin region has declared a state of emergency after the 8.8 magnitude quake hit.

Footage showed tsunami waves overwhelming a port town in the northern Kuril Islands.

Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said “everyone” in the area had been evacuated.

He said: “There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated, all the people are in the tsunami safety zone.”

Latest updates

• Tsunami waves are due to hit Hawaii imminently after 40cm waves hit Japan’s northern coast
• Nearly 2 million people have been evacuated in Japan
• Japanese authorities have warned that waves could continue for more than a day
• In California, people have been urged to stay away from the coast
• China, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Peru and Mexico have also issued tsunami alerts

Welcome to our live blog

Welcome to The Sun’s coverage of a massive 8.8 earthquake which has struck off the coast of Russia overnight.

Tsunami warnings are now in effect right across the Pacific with the first waves already hitting Japan and Russia.

Locals in Hawaii are being told to evacuate, with the possibility of 10ft waves striking the northern islands in the chain.