According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the waves that reached Hawaii were 1.2 meters tall.
The massive 8.7 magnitude earthquake, which hit Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggered a tsunami across the Pacific as waves reached Hawaii and California in the US.
Lakhs of people have been ordered to evacuate the coastal areas in Russia, Japan, and some states of the US.
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The earthquake off the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula is being said to be one of the most powerful ever recorded in history.
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Following the quake, which was recorded at a relatively shallow depth of 19.3 kilometres (12 miles) and centred about 125 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, tsunami waves hit Russia’s northern Kuril Islands and soon reached the coast of the Hokkaido Islands in Japan.
In Japan, around 20 Lakh people were told to evacuate as tsunami waves of 1.3 meters reached the coast of the Hokkaido Islands. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
In the US, the first wave after the powerful quake reached the Hawaii and Alaska coasts. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the waves were 1.2 meters tall.
However, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said that “a wave of consequence” was not seen, and within one hour, the Tsunami warning in the region was downgraded to an advisory.
Shortly after reaching Hawaii and Alaska, the National Weather Service Los Angeles (NWSLA) confirmed tsunami waves in California.
“The tsunami has reached the California Coast and is showing up in the Arena Cove, CA, tide gauge and is making its way down the coast right now.”
The agency said the surge in water level is rapid and dangerous, urging residents not to return to inundated areas.
“The Port San Luis gauge shows a rapid and damaging surge, going from low to high tide in just a few minutes. Do not return to inundated areas, as waters will recede but could return multiple times through the next 24 hours, and the first wave may not be the largest,” the NWSLA added.
Several other countries, including China, Peru, the Philippines, and Indonesia, have also issued tsunami alerts of various levels.
The Chinese Ministry of National Resources stated, “Based on the latest warning and analysis results, the Tsunami Advisory Centre 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.”
In Peru, the country’s Navy said, “After an analysis and evaluation by the National Tsunami Warning Centre, it has been determined that this event generates a tsunami warning for the Peruvian coast.”
However, there was no imminent tsunami threat to India and the Indian Ocean, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) said.
“Tsunami Warning Centre, @ESSO_INCOIS detected an earthquake of M 8.7 on 30 July 2025 at 04:54 IST (29 July 2025 at 23:24 UTC) @ Off East Coast of Kamchatka (Location: 52.57 N, 160.08 E),” the INCOIS said in a post on X, adding there was, “NO TSUNAMI THREAT to India and the Indian Ocean in connection with this earthquake.”
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