TOKYO — July 30: Japan issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday for wide swaths of its Pacific coast after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering waves of up to 50 centimeters in parts of northern and eastern Japan, Kyodo News reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that tsunami waves of up to 3 meters could strike areas stretching from Hokkaido in the north to Wakayama Prefecture in the west, and as far south as the Ogasawara Islands. The warning is expected to remain in place throughout the day.
A 50-centimeter tsunami was recorded at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture at 11:51 a.m. local time, while a 40 cm wave reached Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture at 11:38 a.m. Smaller waves of up to 30 cm were observed in Nemuro and Kushiro in eastern Hokkaido, as well as in Ofunato and Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the government is taking “all possible measures” to protect lives and prevent damage. “We are prioritizing the safety of the people,” Ishiba said during a Cabinet briefing.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged residents in affected areas to evacuate immediately. “Please move to higher ground without hesitation. The situation is evolving and we are confirming the full impact,” Hayashi said at an emergency press conference.
The earthquake, which occurred at 8:24 a.m., was located about 120 kilometers east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 20 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
In Russia’s Kamchatka region, waves as high as 4 meters were reported along the southeastern coast, and local media said several people were injured.
The tsunami warning disrupted transportation in Japan. Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture shut down its runways, while train operators JR East and JR Central suspended services near coastal regions.
The disaster also led Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to suspend the ongoing release of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, as a precautionary measure.
Japan, located along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” remains on high alert as authorities continue to monitor wave activity and assess damage.
