Tsunami warnings remain in place for South America after volcano eruption and major earthquake off Russian coast: Live
Fears of a devastating tsunami in the US and Japan faded over Wednesday after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's sparsely populated Kamchatka peninsula.
But as the region breathed a sigh of relief - with authorities in Hawaii and parts of Japan, Russia and California downgrading their warnings - new evacuation warnings were issued along South America's Pacific coast.
Colombia, Chile and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands all saw restrictions and evacuations issued, including beach and school closures. "Remember that the first wave is usually not the strongest," Chilean president Gabriel Boric warned on social media.
Several people were injured during the earthquake, but none seriously and no major damage was reported.
Hours later, lava was seen coming from the Klyuchevskoy volcano on the peninsula as it began to erupt.
On Kamchatka, near the quake's epicentre, residents fled inland as ports flooded, while cars jammed streets in Honolulu.
Tsunamis are triggered by underwater earthquakes, which cause the seafloor to rise and drop, pushing huge volumes of sea water into waves.
Evacuations ordered in South America
Chile, a place highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis, raised its warning to the highest level yesterday for most of its lengthy Pacific coast and began evacuating hundreds of people.
"Remember that the first wave is usually not the strongest," Chilean president Gabriel Boric warned on social media.
Colombian officials ordered the complete closure and evacuation of beaches and low-tide areas while maritime traffic was being restricted. Ecuador canceled classes at schools in the Galapagos Islands as well as communities along the coast.
Coastlines of New Zealand — about 9,600km from the quake's epicenter — were experiencing strong currents and wave surges. There were no evacuations, but people throughout the South Pacific island nation were warned to stay out of the water and away from beaches, shorelines and harbours.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar31 July 2025 04:02
Watch the moment Hawaii beachgoers evacuated amid tsunami warnings on Wednesday
Alex Croft31 July 2025 04:00
Russian surgeons keep steady hands during massive Kamchatka quake
A team of medics was in the middle of surgery in the Far Eastern Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky when Wednesday's very powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake shook their equipment and the floor beneath them.
The medics used their hands to try to steady both the patient and their equipment, CCTV footage released by the Kamchatka region's Health Ministry showed.
"Despite the danger, the doctors remained calm and stayed with the patient until the very end," Oleg Melnikov, the minister, wrote on Telegram. He gave no details of the surgery but added that the patient was currently out of danger.
Alex Croft31 July 2025 03:00
Is it safe to travel to Japan?
Is it safe to travel to Japan? Latest advice after tsunami warning
Japan still has some tsunami warnings in place along its coastline
Alex Croft31 July 2025 01:30
Damage and tsunami waves in Russia after huge earthquake
Alex Croft30 July 2025 23:59
Among the world's strongest recorded quakes
The earthquake appeared to be the strongest recorded since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off Japan in 2011 caused a massive tsunami and meltdowns at a nuclear power plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said initial reports showed Japan's nuclear plants were not affected this time.
Wednesday's quake occurred along the "Ring of Fire," a series of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean. It was centred offshore, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka's regional capital. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed.
Russia's Oceanology Institute said tsunami waves of less than 6 meters (20 feet) were recorded near populated areas of the peninsula.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 23:59
Dozens in Japan find refuge on hilltops and on rooftops
A tsunami of 2 feet (60 centimeters) was recorded in Hamanaka town in Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Several areas reported smaller waves, and at least one person was injured.
In Iwaki, a city in Fukushima prefecture, which was the epicenter of the 2011 tsunami and quake, dozens of residents gathered at a hilltop park after a community siren sounded and breakwater gates were closed.
Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, severely damaged in 2011, took shelter on higher ground while remotely monitoring operations, the operator said.
Hours later, Japan downgraded its tsunami alert but left an advisory in place along the Pacific coast.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 23:14
Evacuations ordered in South America
Chile, a place highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis, raised its warning to the highest level early Wednesday for most of its lengthy Pacific coast and began evacuating hundreds of people.
"Remember that the first wave is usually not the strongest," Chilean president Gabriel Boric warned on social media.
Colombian officials ordered the complete closure and evacuation of beaches and low-tide areas while maritime traffic was being restricted. Ecuador canceled classes at schools in the Galapagos Islands as well as communities along the coast.
Alex Croft30 July 2025 22:27
French Polynesia lifts alert after tsunami waves smaller than feared
Local authorities lifted the tsunami alert in the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia on Wednesday and said people could return to their homes, but said residents should remain cautious.
The High Commission of the Republic in French Polynesia said wave heights had reached 1.50 metres, down from a previous forecast of up to 4 metres.
Additional smaller waves were expected in the coming hours, officials said.
Daniel Keane30 July 2025 21:03
Tsunami advisory for Hawaii has now ended
A tsunami advisory for the stateof Hawaii has now ended, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement.
Daniel Keane30 July 2025 20:35
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Weather tracker: deadly floods devastate northern China
At least 70 people have died in northern China after another bout of torrential rain triggered flooding, the latest in a series of extreme rainfall events in recent months. Between 23 and 29 July, Beijing and its surrounding areas recorded an average of 166mm, equivalent to the monthly norm. The suburban district of Miyun received the highest amount of rainfall, with 543mm recorded, equivalent to the region's annual average. The death toll included 31 people in a Miyun care home, 10 who were swept away in a minibus in Shangxi province, and eight people in a landslide in the city of Chengde. Floods also damaged roads and vital infrastructure, cutting off more than 130 rural villages and leading to the evacuation of more than 80,000 people from their homes. The increasing frequency of high-rainfall events in China has been linked to rising global temperatures; each degree in warming enables the atmosphere to hold 7% more moisture. Meanwhile, Japan is braced for Tropical Storm Krosa on Friday, which is expected to skirt past the south-eastern Kanto region via the Izu islands. Although Krosa travelled towards Japan during its initial north-westerly path, a forecasted change to a more north-easterly direction means the system is likely to avoid a direct hit. However, its close proximity to the Chiba region may bring 120-200mm of rain in 24 hours. This week, as much of Europe experiences below-average temperatures, parts of Scandinavia have been engulfed by unusually intense heat. Prolonged heatwave conditions swept the north of the continent in mid-July, driven by exceptionally high sea-surface temperatures off Norway's northern coast and a stubborn area of high pressure that brought sunny weather and sinking, compressing air. As a result, temperatures in Norway, Sweden and Finland rose 8-10C (46-40F) above seasonal norms and remained elevated for nearly two weeks. The Norwegian counties of Trøndelag and Nordland exceeded 30C for 13 consecutive days, including in Storforsheia, just north of the Arctic Circle. It was the warmest two-week period on record in several areas. In the past week, the heat has shifted north and east, easing across much of Norway and Sweden and pushing temperatures 10-15C above normal in Finland and north-western Russia. Temperatures in the upper 20s celsius are likely to persist for at least the next five days several hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
In a miniature world, climate change and environmental issues loom large
Watching his dad make a brand-new miniature train car look old, placing the wooden parts to weather in the sun and rain, pulled Peter Martínez into the world of miniatures. He recalls his father, who made model trains mostly for collectors or hobbyists, wondering why anyone would pay him to do what he thought was the most fun part of the hobby. 'But luckily they did, and we were able to build an industry around it," Martínez said. The Argentine family business, United Scale Arts, is now partnering with Germany's Miniatur Wunderland, a museum that houses the largest model train set in the world, to develop new exhibits depicting parts of South America, including the Amazon rainforest and Atacama Desert. But with miniature power comes great responsibility — and both Martínez's company and the museum are determined that the miniature world reflect both the good and bad of the real thing. Real world problems So alongside the perfectly shaded rocks and trees, they depict poverty, crime and environmental degradation. In the exhibits already running in Hamburg, built by a team that has grown over the years to hundreds of people, it means that tiny trains pull tiny coal cars into a mining town, but also, on a city bridge, a tiny semitruck hauls the tiny giant blade of a wind turbine. And the builders say it means the new models won't shy away from illustrating real life in the Amazon: they will include scenes of illegal mining, deforestation and forest fires. 'These are social problems that exist in the real world, and we need to show them also in the models, because I think it's important not to make this kind of idealistic view of the world, but also to show reality and to use these tools as a learning experience for everyone that visits the Wunderland,' Martínez said. Replicas of famous landmarks Visitors have a lot to see in the multistory warehouse that is Wunderland. From Las Vegas to Miami Beach, from Rio de Janeiro to Monaco, cars zoom past tiny replicas of buildings as throngs of people, with heads smaller than your fingernail, mill about famous landmarks. Cargo ships dominate the glasslike surface of a tiny bay as they chug in with their deliveries. Planes taxi down the runway of an airport. And of course, plenty of trains roll through every landscape to the delight of kids and adults alike. 'A dream come true' Twin brothers Gerrit and Frederik Braun joined with business partner Stephan Hertz and took out a loan to create Miniatur Wunderland after they left the nightclub business. Frederik had visited a model railroad shop in Zurich, called his brother and suggested they create their own — but a whole lot bigger. Gerrit laughed at first. Unlike his brother, he loved the nightclub. But he eventually agreed and now can't imagine doing anything else. 'It's a dream come true that we sit here 25 years later, and playing all day,' he said, chuckling. Serious work mixed with play But he takes the work seriously. The brothers came up with most of the initial plans for the museum within two weeks, Gerrit said. It's grown in scope and ambition since then. 'Ten years ago, we were looking to the old section and saw the real world has changed in this time,' Gerrit said. They realized they needed to update the exhibits to include technologies like electric cars, wind turbines, nuclear power and more. 'I have children, and I believe in global warming and I'm sure that we have done it ... So if you believe in this, and you have the possibility to show the images, why not?" Political issues There's no one process by which the designers and model builders decide what to include in their models, but as they have added to the collection, they haven't shied away from depicting technology or from political or contentious topics. In 2017, when Donald Trump was first elected U.S. president, the Wunderland put up a model concrete wall with barbed wire around the section with the American landscapes. In 2019, Wunderland launched a scathing exhibit on the treatment of animals in large-scale farming that sparked deep criticism from the agriculture industry. Next came weeks of conversation, farm visits and the eventual launch of a special exhibit aimed at depicting the current reality of pig farming, featuring industrial production and organic farms. They're usually striving to depict the world exactly as it is. But building models also reminds Gerrit that 'you can build the world a little bit like you want,' he said. Feelings of nostalgia It's an art form that can have practical purposes but also can capture longing, nostalgia or other feelings about a particular time or place, said Kit Maxwell, a curator with The Art Institute of Chicago, which houses the popular Thorne Miniature Rooms. ' One of the most compelling things about these rooms is that you imagine yourself in them," he said. Aware of that power of imagination,Martínez also said builders have to be careful not to unfairly cast countries in a bad light as they seek to include imperfections. 'You need to kind of balance, when you show the bad things in contrast with the good things, that they are not overdone or they are not too much,' he said. 'You want also that the people that go there have a good time and not get really sad after seeing this model.' ___ Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @ ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Full-backs and future stars: the issues facing Lionesses before World Cup bid
The shiny ticker-tape had not even been cleared from the pitch at St Jakob-Park when the gauntlet was thrown down. As England celebrated their Euro 2025 triumph, King Charles wrote on the royal family's Instagram account: 'Well done, Lionesses. The next is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can!' No pressure, then. The short-term future for England players will centre around two things; a holiday – unless you are a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) player like Jess Carter, who had to fly straight back to the US to play club football – and more accolades, the latest of which came on Friday as the National Football Museum announced every squad member and Sarina Wiegman will all be inducted into their Hall of Fame. More awards will surely follow but, eventually, everyone will catch up with the King's mindset and focus attention on 2027. Having become the first senior England football team to win a major trophy overseas, and the first to defend a title, the next obstacle to overcome is to win the nation's first Women's World Cup, with the next tournament to be staged in Brazil as it heads to South America for the first time. The Lionesses have come very close, reaching the semi-finals in 2015 and 2019 before losing 2023's final, and their retained status as European champions will see many tipping them for glory in a couple of years. But how will this team evolve before then and what is there for all concerned to ponder? Wiegman's team now enters a new era as they say farewell to her long-serving assistant Arjan Veurink, often hailed as key to their tactical success, as he heads off to become the Netherlands head coach. Geraint Twose, also part of Wiegman's backroom team for both of their Euro-winning campaigns, is also moving on to take up a new position as England's lead transition coach, supporting players in the youth pathway. Arriving from the Netherlands are Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit, and it will be interesting to see how, if at all, England's style changes with them in place. Lucy Bronze has made it clear she wants to play at the next World Cup. She will be 35-and-three-quarters when the tournament comes around and while her experience, leadership skills and mentality will ensure she is still England's first-choice right-back if fit, the Lionesses need a plan B, just in case sports science discovers an injury so severe that she cannot play through it, unlike a seemingly minor problem of a – checks notes – fractured tibia at the Euros. England had the Manchester United captain, Maya Le Tissier, waiting in the wings this summer, someone Wiegman sees as a right-back despite the fact she has played every match for her club at centre-back. Also in contention is Tottenham's Ella Morris, who has impressed at right-back through England's youth teams but suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in May. England have been without a consistently selected left-back for a generation, with no one making that position their own since the centurion Rachel Unitt more than a decade ago. Alex Greenwood did well in that position against Spain but she commonly plays at centre-back for Manchester City, and that is where Wiegman had intended to play the 31-year-old before the tournament began. Niamh Charles, who also played well when called upon from the bench, will be another option, but she will want to start more games for Chelsea between now and the World Cup. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion England are blessed with attacking options and Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones in particular are likely to provide Wiegman with welcome headaches during the next two seasons. Chloe Kelly's standing will also continue to rise, while Wiegman will be keen to give more opportunities to the technically gifted midfielders Grace Clinton and Jess Park, both of whom played prominent roles during the recent Nations League campaigns. World champions Spain will be a huge threat in Brazil, as will the hosts, who have been in good form and reached the Olympic final last year. The US, managed by Emma Hayes, will probably be the favourites, while the younger generation of stars breaking through with Germany and France will see them in contention too. Japan, who played some eye-catching football during their victory over the United States in the SheBelieves Cup in California in February, will also be a threat. England's qualifying campaign begins next year.
