Japan issues tsunami advisory after 8.7 magnitude earthquake near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula

A powerful 8.7 magnitude earthquake hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan’s meteorological agency to issue a tsunami advisory. A tsunami warning was issued for the state of Hawaii, the National Weather Service said, and the entire West Coast was under tsunami watches.

Japan’s meteorological agency said the quake occurred at 8:25 a.m. local time on Wednesday and registered a preliminary magnitude of 8.0. It issued an advisory for a tsunami of up to 1 yard along the Pacific coast of Japan. 

A tsunami advisory was issued for the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, and a tsunami watch was issued for the entire West Coast, stretching from the California-Mexico border up to Chignik Bay, Alaska.

The U.S. Geological Survey said it hit at a depth of 19.3 kilometers, or about 12 miles. The USGC later adjusted the quake’s strength to 8.7 magnitude. 

So far, no damage has been reported.

The quake was about 160 miles away from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost of the country’s four big islands, and was felt only slightly, according to Japan’s NHK television.

According to Japan’s tsunami advisory, which is a lower-level warning than a tsunami alert, a first wave of tsunami was expected in eastern Hokkaido around an hour and half after the quake. The government said it set up a taskforce for information gathering and response in case of any emergency.

A University of Tokyo seismologist, Shinichi Sakai, told NHK that a distant earthquake could cause a tsunami that affects Japan if its epicenter is shallow.

Japan, part of the area known as the Pacific ring of fire, is one of the world’s most quake-prone country. It’s Russia’s second major earthquake this month that occurred in the same peninsula.

Over a week ago, five powerful quakes — the largest with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. And earlier this month, a tsunami advisory for Alaska‘s southern peninsula was issued after a major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 hit the Aleutian Islands area.

On Nov. 4, 1952, a magnitude 9.0 quake in Kamchatka caused damage but no reported deaths despite setting off 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves in Hawaii.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.