Tsunami warning LIVE: Hawaii smashed as water level plummets over 10 feet before waves hit

Images show flooding from the tsunami in the city of Severo-Kurilsk, Russia.

Japan has suspend the operation of nuclear plants along the Pacific coasts amid concerns about a repeat of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Authorities fear for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant which is still a site of international scrutiny more than a decade later.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), which operates the facility, confirmed that around 4,000 workers had taken shelter on higher ground.

In the 2011 disaster, a series of waves, some as high as 14 metres, overwhelmed coastal defences and knocked out backup generators at Fukushima. That failure triggered a triple reactor meltdown, hydrogen explosions, and a mass release of radiation into the air and sea.

Read the full story here.

Current response levels in Japan are similar to that of March 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude quake off the northeast coast triggered a towering tsunami. This led to one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.

The earthquake's magnitude today stands at 8.8 - the latest tremor is likewise one of the most powerful in recorded history, exceeding the 1906 quake which devastated San Francisco.

A wave of 4ft (1.2m) has hit Hawaii on the coast of Oahu, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. 12 minutes were recorded between each wave, as Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, said the island was yet to see a “wave of consequence”.

"We still have not seen any wave activity come past the Big Island. That's important. Until we see what happens on the Big Island, we won't feel we're in a position to start saying that we're in the clear," he says.

Tsunami waves in Hawaii could reach more than 3 meters (10 feet) above normal tide level in some coasts of the Northern Hawaiian Islands.

The waves could hit in just a few hours, the authorities warn.

The observed tsunami so far in northern Japan has reached about 1 to 1.5 feet in height, according to CNN.

Watch Hawaii's latest press conference on the tsnuami below.

More than 1.9 million people have been asked to evacuate in Japan amid tsunami warnings.

Authorities a urging residents on the east coast to evacuate to higher ground immediately. The warnings span from Hokkaido in the north to Wakrayama prefecture in the south - 100s of miles.

According to the Meteorological agency, tsunami waves could reach up to 3 metres high.

Geographical images show the exact location of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

Ecuador has ordered residents to evacuate beaches, docks and low-lying areas in the Galapagos Islands.

Ecuador’s Secretariat for Risk Management said: “A tsunami warning has been established for the Insular Region (Galapagos), which indicates the immediate suspension of maritime activities, as well as preventive evacuations of beaches, docks and low-lying areas."

US President Donald Trump has urged people to 'stay strong and safe' in a social media statement.

China's tsunami warning centre has issued an alert for parts of the country's east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces.

The centre said that waves of between 30cm and 1-metre are expected to hit the country's eastern coast.

"Based on the latest warning and analysis results, the Tsunami Advisory Center of the Ministry of National Resources has determined that the earthquake has triggered a tsunami, which is expected to cause damage to certain coastal areas of China," the centre said.

Russia’s far-eastern Sakhalin region has declared a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands. This follows tsunami waves damaging buildings and caused flooding already.

The Sakhalin government said in a statement: “A state of emergency has been declared in the North Kuril District, where an earthquake and tsunami occurred today."

Images from Hawaii shows a long line of cars trying to leave the area as evacuation orders are in place.

Following the earthquake that rocked Russia's east coast on Tuesday night and a flurry of Tsunami alerts for Japan, Hawaii and the US West Coast, several South American nations have now also issued their own warnings.

All of Chile's coastline is currently at risk of tsunamis, according to the National Tsunami Alarm System. The navy of Peru has also stated that it is keeping a careful eye on the situation.

According to Ecuador's Oceanographic and Antarctic Institute, by 9 a.m. local time, a wave of 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) may even reach the Galapagos Islands, a significant hub of biodiversity and animals that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.

Additionally, a tsunami warning that extends from Ensenada on Mexico's northwest coast to Panama in Central America was issued by the Integrated Tsunami Alert System of Mexico and Central America.

While the waves are still far smaller than initially predicted, more than 1.9 million people in Japan have still been asked to evacuate to safer ground as tsunami waves continue to strike different portions of the coast and cause transportation disruptions across the country.

Around 1,905,596 individuals spread across 21 prefectures are under localized evacuation orders issued by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency; with the majority of evacuees originating from Hokkaido, Kanagawa, and Wakayama prefectures.

When the first waves struck Hokkaido, the northernmost island in Japan, footage from the Nippon News Network showed residents sheltering on roofs to try and avoid the waters. On Wednesday morning tsunami sirens also sounded in certain areas of the island.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reports that tsunami waves of between 30 and 50 centimeters are being observed along the east coast, creeping closer to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area- however this is considerably lower than the original forecast of up to three meters.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation.

In the aftermath of an 8.7 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia, reports have begun to emerge on social media of whales having washed up on the shores of Japan but also Kamchatka, Russia where it saw 5 Beluga Whales wash up from the power of the Tsunami.

One person in Japan has written on X: "It’s indicative that this quake was absolutely DEVASTATING to the marine life."

The US National Weather Service has warned people against going to the coast to look for tsunami waves. The National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area office posted on X: "This will NOT be a single wave. Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos."

The agency warned people could put themselves and any rescue teams that may be out at risk. The Bay Area is currently under a tsunami advisory. Communities further north are under a warning.

Tuesday's earthquake which reached a magnitude of 8.7 and struck about 84 miles east-southeast of Kamchatska off the coast of Russia is the largest earthquake to have hit in over a decade, when a 9.1 megaquake hit northeast Japan and left 19,747 people either dead or missing back in 2011.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom told residents to "stay alert" as they anxiously wait to see whether devastating tsunami waves will hit the state.

"We encourage everyone to stay alert and follow guidance from local emergency personnel," it said in a statement.

Reports say the tsunami is projected to hit West Coast regions of the US at around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday (roughly 9:15am GMT)

The Hawaii Emergency Managmement Angecy has announced on X that the state's "All Hazards Sirens" will echo for about an hour before the first expected wave is set to hit, the agency tweeted.

Parts of Hawaii are bracing for a possible tsunami that is projected to arrive by 7:10 p.m. local time. (Roughly 6:10am GMT)

The world's largest integrated outdoor siren warning system for public safety is located in Hawaii.

Tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, occurrences involving hazardous materials, and more are all among the many natural and man-made catastrophes for which the all-hazard siren system can be activated.

Rescuers are pictured inspecting a nursery in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia after it suffered damage following the earthquake.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took to social media on Tuesday evening to warn Los Angeles residents to stay off the beaches and out of the water.

"A Tsunami Advisory is in effect for the L.A. region after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake was detected near Russia. I’ve been briefed and my team is in touch with coastal leaders and the @PortofLA about overnight preparations," Bass wrote on X.

All of California's coast is under a Tsunami advisory as of 8 p.m. PST.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) has been detected at 16 locations as the waves have moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido down to just northeast of Tokyo.

Officials urge residents to use caution as bigger waves could come later.

New map shows entire California coast gripped by Tsunami warning.

People in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky area of Russia have been reported to be running out into the street without shoes following the impact of the Tsunami. Cabinets toppled inside homes, mirrors were broken, cars swayed in the street and balconies on buildings shook noticeably. A press agency in Russia also reported power outages and mobile phone service failures.

It also quoted a local Russian official as saying residents on Sakhalin Island were being evacuated and emergency services were working at full capacity.

A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s large northern island of Hokkaido.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a first tsunami wave of about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) reached Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido.

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia's Kuril Islands in the Pacific.

According to the local governor Valery Limarenko, thankfully all residents were safe and would be staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

Tsunami warning sirens are heard blaring in Honolulu and people have been urged to move to higher ground due to the ongoing risk.

As a result, traffic is backing up in some neighbourhoods in Honolulu, and officials are preparing to open a mountain pass as an evacuation route out of Waianae, a coastal community on the island of Oahu, said state Rep. Darius Kila.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 1 to 3 metres above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands.

Meanwhile some coastal areas of Russia and Ecuador could see waves in excess of 3 meters.

Evacuations in Hawaii have begun for people in homes near to the coast.

One man, a student meteorologist, has posted on X: "I’m in Maui. I’m being evacuated inland. Godspeed everyone."

Pictures emerging online show queues of traffic as people scramble to find safer ground, as well as several reports of panic buying as people prepare to take shelter on higher ground.

Another tweet reads: "Traffic heavy as people try to move inland/upcountry in Maui."

People in Hawaii should take immediate action as "destructive tsunami waves expected".

Tsunami Watch posted for the entire US West Coast, including San Francisco Bay Area.

"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app.

The powerful, magnite 8.7 earthquake hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and issued a tsunami advisory for Japan, Hawaii and the entire US West Coast as a result.

The weather agency there said the quake occurred at roughly 8:25am (12.25am UK time) and registered a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, before being amended to 8.7.

It also issued an advisory for a tsunami of up to one meter along the Pacific coast of Japan.

Following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake with its epicenter off the eastern coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, the Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

It says;