Tsunami waves lash Hawaii after Russia east coast quake

• Magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's east coast sparks tsunami fears throughout Pacific
• Tsunami waves hit Japan's northern island of Hokkaido and Russia's Kurill Islands
• The waves have also made landfall in the US state of Hawaii, with reports saying Alaska has also been hit 
• Evacuations across the Pacific, with Chinese mega city Shanghai evacuating 283,000 people

07/30/2025July 30, 2025

First tsunami waves make landfall in Hawaii

Tsunami waves have hit the US state of Hawaiiafter a warning was issued. An anchor for local Hawaii broadcaster KHON2 posted footage of the waves. 

Ports in Hawaii have closed, with residents asked to move to the high ground. Hawaiians are being urged to move to the fourth floor or higher of buildings as the waves come. 

"People should not, and I will say it one more time, should not, as we have seen in the past, stay around the shoreline or risk their lives just to see what a tsunami looks like," Hawaii Governor Josh Green said. "It is not a regular wave. It will actually kill if you get hit by a tsunami."

Green later said that there had been no signs of significant waves in Hawaii after beginning tsunami preparations. 

Kahului Airport, which is located on HawaiI's largest island of Maui, has cancelled flights due to the tsunami risk.  

07/30/2025July 30, 2025

Tsunami waves first hit Russia's Kuril Islands, Japan's Hokkaido

The first tsunami waves from the earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula made landfall in the Russian-administered Kuril Islands and Japan's large northern island of Hokkaido.   

Russian local governor Valery Limarenko said the first tsunami wave had struck the coast of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on the Pacific archipelago.

The Russian-administered Kuril islands lie just north of Japan and below the Kamchatska Peninsula Image: Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences/AP Photo/picture alliance

Russian authorities said the town's population of around 2,000 people was evacuated and residents have been urged to remain on high ground until the threat of repeat waves has passed.

Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA), meanwhile, said a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) had been detected in 16 locations as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to just northeast of Tokyo.

Authorities have cautioned that bigger waves could come later, with the JMA saying that a major tsunami could be expected for more than a day after Wednesday's earthquake. 

07/30/2025July 30, 2025

Where are the tsunami warnings in the Pacific?

Tsunami warnings have been put out throughout the Pacific due to the earthquake, from Japan in the east to the western US and countries in South America, such as Colombia and Peru.

This US map shows tsunami warnings in red, advisories in orange, and watches in yellowImage: NOAA/AFP

07/30/2025July 30, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

A magnitude 8.8. earthquake off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula has triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific. 

This blog will bring you the latest news about the earthquake and tsunami, along with DW-on-the-ground reporting from affected regions and multimedia content. We will also delve deeper into the science of how tsunamis are developed.