Japan earthquake triggers widespread tsunami alerts
- From: AAP, AP, AFP
- March 11, 2011
This graphic provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows estimated tsunami travel times following the massive earthquake. Picture: AFP PHOTO
Source: HWT Image Library
Tsunami devastates Japan. Picture: AFP PHOTO / HO / NHK Source: Supplied
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UPDATE 8.43pm: THE first tsunami waves have reached the Kuril Islands chain after a powerful quake struck off Japan, prompting Russia to evacuate 11,000 people, officials said.
The US tsunami monitoring centre has issued a widespread tsunami warning for virtually the entire Pacific coast after a massive 8.9 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Japan.
The quake forced a wall of water to descend on the Japanese coast, smashing ships into the shore and sending cars floating down city streets.
It also triggered a string of the tsunami warnings for the Pacific coast, parts of Asia, and as far north as Russia.
Small tsunami waves reached two of the Kuril Islands' four southernmost islands, with waves at Shikotan Island reaching one metre and waves at Kunashir Island 95cm, a representative of the Sakhalin Tsunami Centre told AFP.
"The second and third waves may be bigger," she said by telephone from Sakhalin Island, where the centre is based.
Along with Iturup and Habomai, Kunashir and Shikotan are the Kuril chain's southernmost islands that are at the heart of Russia's territorial dispute with Japan.
Earlier on Friday, Russia declared a tsunami warning for the entire Kuril Islands and ordered the evacuation of 11,000 people, officials said.
The natural resources ministry said in a separate statement that all economic activity had been suspended on the islands.
Emergencies ministry spokeswoman, Yekaterina Potvorova, speaking to AFP earlier in the day, played down the potential threat of the tsunami, saying that waves were expected to reach around two metres.
The tsunami warning does not include Sakhalin Island that lies close to the Kurils, she added.
The Bureau of Meteorology says there is no tsunami threat for Australia following the deadly quake.
The latest Bureau of Meteorology update, issued at 4.46pm, says Australia's mainland, islands and territories are safe.
Forecaster Chris Ryan from the National Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre said there was a chance that could change if the quake's magnitude is found to be higher.
"But we're a fair while past the event now, it seems to have settled to that level," he told AAP.
The tsunami warnings closest to Australia are for the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
"We're relatively sheltered by those island chains," Mr Ryan said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre based in Hawaii, however, has widened its warnings to virtually the entire Pacific coast, including Australia New Zealand and Central and South America.
The Pacific centre also has issued tsunami warnings for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas.
A tsunami watch is active for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the US state of Hawaii, where Prime Minister Julia Gillard was due to fly to on Friday.
The centre had earlier said the tsunami would hit Hawaii at around 2.45am (11.45pm AEDT) and the US West Coast at 7.45am (2.45am AEDT).
Philippine officials ordered the evacuation of coastal communities along the country's eastern seaboard in expectation of a tsunami following the quake.
Philippine Volcanology and Seismology Institute director Renato Solidum said the first 1m high waves are expected to hit the northernmost Batanes islands by 5pm local time (8pm AEDT).
Disaster management officials in Albay province southeast of Manila say they have ordered residents to move to designated evacuation sites that are at least 5m above sea level.
A number of eastern regions in Indonesia have also been put on tsunami watch.
Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency said waves generated by the earthquake which struck off Japan's northeastern coast could hit North Maluku, North Sulawesi and Papua.
It said residents should be aware that waves could hit the regions at about 6pm Jakarta time (10pm AEDT).
THE Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a widespread tsunami alert for the following countries.Japan
Russia
Marcus Island
Northern Marianas
Guam
Wake Island
Taiwan
Yap
Philippines
Marshall Island
Belau
Midway Island
Pohnpei
Chuuk
Kosrae
Indonesia
Papua New Guinea
Nauru
Johnston Island
Solomon Island
Kiribati
Howland-Baker
Hawaii
Tuvalu
Palmyra Island
Vanuatu
Tokelau
Jarvis Island
Wallis-Futuna
Samoa
American Samoa
Cook Islands
Niue
Australia
Fiji
New Caledonia
Tonga
Mexico
Kermadec Island
French Polynesia
New Zealand
Pitcairn
Guatemala
El Salvador
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Antarctica
Panama
Honduras
Chile
Ecuador
Colombia
Peru
Friday, 11 March 2011
Japan earthquake triggers widespread tsunami alerts | Perth Now
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