Key posts

• 6.58pmHawaii threat level downgraded
• 5.56pmSydney student detects earthquake from garage seismometer
• 5.33pmWhat you need to know
• 4.55pmHawaii’s biggest wave 1.21 metres, but high alert remains
• 4.31pmMap: Where the earthquake struck and tsunami warnings have been issued
• 4.26pmAlmost 2 million people warned to evacuate in Japan
• 4.19pmSydney tourist watches daredevil paddle into tsunami’s path
• 4.12pmHawaii emergency likely to persist overnight

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7.54pm

Waves surpass one metre in traumatised California city

Waves have surpassed one metre in a small northern California community, which was devastated by another tsunami more than 60 years ago.

Crescent City recorded waves of 3.6 feet, or almost 1.1 metres, minutes ago, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.

The small community earlier turned on its tsunami sirens to warn residents about possible waves.

“You are hearing a tsunami siren. We are under a tsunami warning. Please stay away from beaches and waterways. A predicted wave may hit at 11.55 pm. We are waiting on additional information about any level of evacuation,” read a post from the City Hall Facebook account earlier today.

It is now almost 3am in Crescent City.

The city in rural Northern California has roughly 6000 residents.

A tsunami in 1964 triggered by an earthquake in Alaska caused a 6.4 metre high wave to hit the city, killing 11 people and destroying its downtown.

Reuters

7.32pm

No reports of major damage in Hawaii

By Penry Buckley

Asked about the extent of damage from powerful swells, the director of Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency, Major-General Stephen Logan, said authorities were yet to receive any reports of major damage, although the main island of Hawaii had experienced some flooding near the Hilo Hotel.

Agency administrator James Barros advised stranded travellers, including several hundred people at the main airport on the island of Maui, to follow the directions of first responders wherever they were.

“We’re still postured that if they need assistance ... we can provide assistance,” he said.

6.58pm

Hawaii threat level downgraded

A major tsunami is not expected to strike Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has announced.

The agency has downgraded Hawaii’s tsunami threat to “advisory level”, meaning authorities are still on alert for tsunami waves – but a significant tsunami is not expected.

Authorities, addressing media minutes ago, warned there was still threatening “energy” in Hawaii’s waters, which people should steer clear of.

However, it is safe to return to evacuated areas, and commercial harbours will be reopened, Reuters reported.

6.43pm

US embassy puts PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu on alert

The US embassy in Papua New Guinea has issued a tsunami threat alert for the country, alongside the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

In an alert posted to its website, the embassy warned US citizens to be prepared to immediately move to higher ground if they were in coastal areas and noticed “unusual sea activity or feel strong or prolonged shaking”.

“Avoid coastal areas, beaches, and rivers until further notice,” the alert reads.

“Ensure your emergency supplies are ready, including water, food, medications, and important documents.”

6.14pm

Tsunami reaches California coast

By Cassandra Morgan

The tsunami has reached the California coast, the US National Weather Service says.

The agency’s Los Angeles service posted to X minutes ago that the tsunami passed a tide gauge at Arena Cove, and “is making its way down the coast right now”.

The water level reached 2.95 feet, or less than a metre, above the maximum.

The tsunami arrived in San Francisco about 1.12am, local time.

The weather service cautioned its graphs showed the observed arrival of the initial tsunami wave, not the peak level.

6.06pm

Tsunami wave reaches new high of 1.7 metres in Hawaii

Hawaii has now recorded a tsunami wave of about 1.7 metres, superseding the previous high of about 1.2 metres.

The wave was recorded at Kahului in Maui. State Governor Josh Green said earlier that no waves of consequence had hit Hawaii but all flights in and out of Maui were cancelled.

Authorities there are monitoring the situation in the hopes they can declare an all-clear in the coming hours.

5.56pm

Sydney student detects earthquake from garage seismometer

By Angus Dalton

Eric Wang’s PhD project has become a part of global history after he checked the data from a network of seismometers he set up around Sydney and saw a massive burst of seismic activity.

He had detected the sixth-biggest earthquake on record, which struck off the coast of Russia today and unleashed tsunami warnings affecting millions across the world.

“I roughly picked out when the P-wave arrived, which is where an earthquake comes,” Wang said, referring to the “primary” wave of the quake.

The earthquake struck at 9.24am (AEST). Wang’s stations in Sydney detected the first waves that rattled through the Earth some 12 minutes later.

“We were able to record it from the other side of the world … a magnitude 8.8 earthquake is really big, and the seismic waves it gives off are basically able to travel across the world,” Wang said.

Wang inherited 11 old seismometers from other researchers who were going to throw out the 50-year-old instruments.

He deployed them around Sydney – including one in his supervisor’s garage – for a research project focused on monitoring seismic rumbles in NSW at the University of Sydney School of Geosciences.

He said detecting such a large quake was exciting. “Personally, I think this is a really exciting field to look at,” he said.

5.50pm

Watch: Earthquake shakes surgeons but operation goes on

A video released by a Russian media outlet showed a team of doctors at a cancer clinic on the Kamchatka Peninsula holding a patient and clutching medical equipment as the earthquake rocked an operating room, before continuing with surgery after the shaking stopped.

Officials said the doctors would receive decorations.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka’s regional capital, the earthquake damaged a kindergarten which was not in operation due to ongoing repair work.

Authorities on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula said several people were injured during the massive earthquake but didn’t give an exact number. As we reported earlier, a tsunami with a height of three to four metres was recorded in parts of Kamchatka.

AP

5.33pm

What you need to know

By Cassandra Morgan

Hello, and thanks for tuning into our live tsunami-watch coverage after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s eastern Kamchatka Peninsula this morning.

Here’s a look at what we’ve been covering so far:

• The equal sixth-biggest earthquake in recorded history struck off Russia’s far east this morning at 9.25am AEST.
• Evacuations, tsunami warnings and watches were issued across the Pacific, including in Russia and Japan, on the US west coast and in Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines and Indonesia.
• Local authorities on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula said several people were injured during the massive earthquake but didn’t give an exact number. A tsunami with a height of three to four metres was recorded in parts of Kamchatka, an official there said.
• Hawaii recorded a tsunami wave of about 1.7 metres. Authorities remain on high alert but are hoping to be given the all-clear later tonight.
• Almost 2 million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast of Japan.
• The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 60 centimetres was detected as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. Officials urged caution, saying that bigger waves could come later. For comparison, heights of nearly 40 metres were recorded during the 2011 tsunami.
• Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology confirmed there was no tsunami threat to Australia.
• Meanwhile, New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency expects strong currents and unpredictable coastal surges from midnight tonight in all coastal areas.

We’ll have more live updates for you throughout this evening.

With AP

5.05pm

Hawaii hoping for all-clear on tsunami front

By Cassandra Morgan

Further to our previous post, Hawaii Governor Josh Green told reporters a little while ago he was hopeful authorities would be able to give the all-clear on the tsunami front within hours.

Here’s what he said:

“We’re going to get another update from the scientific community around [9pm], and then we’ll communicate with you, we’ll reach out through social media and text shortly thereafter in case there’s any update. And then, hopefully, fingers crossed, the gentlemen will be able to come up and hopefully give us the all clear in two or three hours, perhaps, perhaps by [11pm] tonight, but we will still be cautious. There’s just no reason to take any risks. So again, thank you everyone. Thank you for being mindful of the large risk. If large waves did come over the shore, there would be harm and loss of life.”