Powerful earthquakes off Russia's far east trigger tsunami alert
Earlier 5.0-magnitude and 6.7-magnitude earthquakes did not initially trigger a tsunami alert, but were followed by a 7.4-magnitude quake at 0849 GMT (5.49pm Malaysian time), prompting the USGS to warn that 'hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts'.
The USGS said it expected waves of between 30 centimetres and one metre (up to 3.3 feet) on Russian coasts, and less than 30 centimetres (one foot) in Japan and the US state of Hawaii.
The epicentre of the quakes was in the Pacific Ocean, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, it said.
The initial earthquakes were followed by several aftershocks, including another 6.7-magnitude quake, said USGS.
Russia's emergency situations ministry wrote on Telegram that it expected waves of up to 60 centimetres in the Commander Islands in the southwestern part of the Bering Sea, and waves of 15 to 40 centimetres in the Kamchatka peninsula.
The peninsula is the meeting point of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, making it a seismic hot zone.
Since 1900, seven major earthquakes of magnitude 8.3 or higher have struck the area. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Malaysia urges vigilance after Japan issues tsunami advisory
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is closely monitoring the situation following a tsunami advisory issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency after a powerful earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday. In a media statement, the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) said that there are currently no reports of Malaysians affected by the situation. "However, all Malaysians in the affected areas are strongly advised to remain vigilant, follow safety instructions issued by local authorities, and stay updated through official channels," the ministry said. Wisma Putra also advised Malaysians residing in or travelling through the affected areas to register with the embassy and remain in close contact to ensure timely assistance if necessary. The Foreign Ministry said Malaysians requiring consular assistance could contact the Embassy of Malaysia in Tokyo at 20-16, Nanpeidai-cho, Shibuya-ku, 150-0036 Tokyo, Japan, or reach the embassy by phone at +81-3-3476-3840 / emergency: +81-80-4322-3366 or email mwtokyo@ / In a further precautionary step, Wisma Putra is also closely monitoring the after-effects of the earthquake on other Pacific-facing nations, including the United States (particularly Hawaii), Mexico, the eastern seaboard of China, and the Philippines, as tsunami alerts and precautionary measures may be issued in these regions. Japan on Wednesday issued a tsunami warning for the country's Pacific coast after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in the morning, with waves of up to 50 centimetres recorded in parts of northern and eastern Japan, Kyodo News Agency reported. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of tsunami waves of up to three metres reaching areas stretching from Hokkaido in northern Japan to Wakayama Prefecture in the west and the Ogasawara Islands in the south. The warning could remain in effect for the entire day, the agency said. The quake occurred at 8.24am, about 120km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of about 20km, according to the US Geological Survey.
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Russian TV shows buildings swept away as tsunami hits coast
MOSCOW, July 30 — Russian state television today aired footage of a tsunami wave sweeping through a coastal town in the far east of the country, carrying buildings and debris into the sea. An 8.8 magnitude megaquake struck off the coast of Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula earlier, prompting evacuations and tsunami alerts across parts of the Pacific coast. In Severo-Kurilsk, a Russian town of about 2,000 people some 350 kilometres (217 miles) southwest of the earthquake's epicentre, tsunami waves crashed through the port area and submerged the local fishing plant, according to authorities. The town lies on the northern Kuril island of Paramushir, just south of the Kamchatka peninsula. The waves, which were up to four metres high in some areas, reached as far as the town's World War II monument about 400 metres from the shoreline, according to Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov. Most of the town lies on higher ground safe from flooding, he added. 'Everyone was evacuated. There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated, all the people are in the tsunami safety zone,' he said at a crisis meeting with officials earlier. 'Everyone acted quickly' The Kremlin said 'all warning systems' had worked properly. 'Thank God, there were no casualties,' spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters including AFP. An expedition group from the Russian Geographical Society was on the neighbouring island of Shumshu when the tsunami swept away their tent camp. 'When the wave hit, all we could do was run to higher ground. It's very difficult to do that in boots on slippery grass and in fog,' group member Vera Kostamo told Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda. 'All the tents and structures were swept away by the wave, and our belongings were scattered across the beach for hundreds of metres,' she added. 'We have no casualties, everyone acted quickly, but we lost all our belongings.' Authorities in the Sakhalin region, which includes the northern Kuril Islands, declared a state of emergency. The regional seismic monitoring service said the earthquake was the region's strongest since 1952. 'Strong aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 should be expected,' it added. — AFP
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Japan sees new record high temperature of 41.2 deg C
The heatwave is forecast to continue, Japan's weather agency said, warning of a 'significant' rise in temperature in northern and eastern regions. - Photo: AFP TOKYO: Japan sweltered in a new record temperature of 41.2 deg C on Wednesday (July 30), with the mercury also hitting 40 deg C in the ancient capital of Kyoto for the first time since observations began. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as climate change creates ever more erratic weather patterns, and Japan is no exception. Wednesday's new record in the western region of Hyogo surpassed the previous high of 41.1C seen in Hamamatsu in 2020 and Kumagaya in 2018, the weather office said. The record comes on a day Japan was also on high alert for tsunamis after a massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Far East Russia. In tourist hotspot Kyoto the mercury hit 40C, the first time any of its observation points -- the oldest opened in 1880, the newest in 2002 -- had seen such a high, authorities said. Japan's summer last year was the joint hottest on record, equalling the level seen in 2023, followed by the warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago. The Japanese government has issued heatstroke warnings to a large swathe of the archipelago in recent days as temperatures topped 35C at hundreds of observation points. On Tuesday, the temperature hit 35C or higher at 322 of 914 observation points nationwide, reportedly the highest number since comparative data became available in 2010. New highs were set in 38 locations, including Gujo in Gifu Prefecture in central Japan, which reached 39.8C, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The heatwave is forecast to continue, the JMA said, warning of a "significant" rise in temperature in northern and eastern regions. "Please take care of your health including (avoiding) heatstroke," it said. - Heatstroke - A total of 10,804 people in Japan were sent to hospital due to heatstroke last week, the highest weekly figure this year. In total 16 people died, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. The number is the highest this year, surpassing the previous record of 10,053 people hospitalised in the week from June 30 to July 6. Every summer, Japanese officials urge the public to seek shelter in air-conditioned rooms to avoid heatstroke. The elderly in Japan -- which has the world's second-oldest population after Monaco -- are particularly at risk. Western Europe saw its hottest June on record last month, as extreme temperatures blasted the region in punishing back-to-back heatwaves, according to the EU climate monitor Copernicus. Dangerous temperatures stretched into July, with separate research estimating that climate change made the heat up to 4C hotter, pushing the thermometer into deadly territory for thousands of vulnerable people and greatly worsening the projected death toll. Millions were exposed to high heat stress as daily average temperatures in western Europe climbed to levels rarely seen before -- and never so early in the summer. Several countries recorded surface temperatures above 40C, with heat of up to 46C in Spain and Portugal, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said. tmo-stu/fox
