TOKYO: (Bernama-dpa) A tidal wave more than one metre high has reached Japan's Pacific coast, local media said on Wednesday (July 30), hours after a powerful undersea earthquake struck off Russia's far-eastern Kamchatka peninsula, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
A 1.3-metre wave was registered in a port in the north-eastern prefecture of Iwate, local media reported.
Tidal waves of up to 80 centimetres were observed on the coast of other prefectures, it said.
Authorities in Japan have issued warnings of a tsunami up to three metres high in the wake of the earthquake which struck at 2324 GMT on Tuesday about 136 kilometres south-east of the Kamchatka Peninsula at a depth of around 20 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS had initially reported the magnitude as 8.
Sometimes a tsunami is preceded by a number of smaller flood waves.
Japan's national meteorological agency called on residents to move to higher ground or evacuation buildings, asking them to stay there for the time being despite the enormous summer heat.
A record temperature of 41.2 degrees Celsius was measured in Tamba in the Hyogo region to the north of Kyoto, on Wednesday, according to the meteorological authority.
The tsunami warning could remain in force for another day or even longer, it said. According to a government spokesman, there have been no reports of casualties or damage so far.
There were also no irregularities at nuclear power plants, he added.
According to the USGS, the earthquake was the strongest worldwide since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011 and has only been surpassed by five earthquakes since measurements began. - Bernama-dpa
