A major tsunami is no longer expected to hit Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said, after initial waves reached the islands following a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's eastern coast. The centre, operated by the US National Weather Service, stated that based on all available data, a major tsunami was not anticipated, but warned that all coasts could remain hazardous to swimmers and boaters due to sea level changes, powerful waves and strong currents.
Hawaii's emergency management agency confirmed that evacuation orders had been lifted and there were no reports of major damage. The tsunami warning for the state was downgraded to an advisory on Wednesday morning. The highest recorded waves in Hawaii reached up to 1.8 metres (6ft). Tsunami warning sirens had sounded on Tuesday evening local time in Honolulu, prompting the evacuation of some coastal areas.
The first waves hit the islands shortly after 8pm local time, with a gauge at Hanalei recording a wave height of one metre (3ft) above normal sea level. The Haleiwa gauge on Oahu's North Shore recorded a tsunami amplitude of 1.2 metres (4ft) above normal, with later readings reporting waves as high as 1.7 metres. The US Coast Guard advised all boats to leave port ahead of the tsunami's arrival, and airports were briefly shut before reopening.
The massive quake struck early Wednesday morning in Russia, generating tsunami waves of up to 4 metres on the country's east coast, damaging buildings and prompting evacuation warnings across most of Japan's east coast. The US tsunami warning system issued a warning of hazardous tsunami waves, with watches also in effect for Guam and other Micronesian islands. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said there was no further threat to Guam, Rota, Tinian or Saipan, and Japan's Meteorological Agency downgraded its warnings to advisories.
Parts of California's coast remained under tsunami warnings and advisories on Wednesday morning. The National Tsunami Warning Center reported a rapid and damaging surge at Port San Luis, with waves at Crescent City reaching 8ft but not causing flooding. Tsunami advisories were also in effect for coastal areas of Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Canada's British Columbia. Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, said data from Midway Atoll measured tsunami waves of almost 6ft, and noted that water receded by as much as 30ft at one Oahu harbour before waves arrived.
