Urgent tsunami warning for 16 countries as record-breaking earthquake hits forcing millions of people to evacuate

Tsunami warnings have been issued for at least 16 countries after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia’s far east this morning (30 July).

The 8.8-magnitude tremor hit off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at about 11:25 local time, prompting warnings across the world and triggering mass evacuations.

Ports near the earthquake’s epicentre were flooded with water as residents were forced to flee inland.

It’s already caused tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and has also prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America, and the Pacific islands south toward New Zealand.

A tsunami height of 10-13ft was recorded in Kamchatka, 2ft on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, and up to 1.4 feet above tide levels have been observed in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

Meanwhile, the US National Weather Service has reported that tsunami waves are now impacting the state of Hawaii, as cars are jamming the streets and major roads in Honolulu with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline.

Tsunami warnings have been issued in 16 countries after a record-breaking earthquake in Russia (SOPA Images/ Getty Images)

The Foreign Office has since issued a list of countries around the world that are facing tsunami warnings, and according to GB News, it includes: Chile, Costa Rica, Kiribati, French Polynesia, USA, Peru, Samoa, Japan, Solomon Islands, Ecuador, Russia, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, Tonga, Canada and the Philippines.

The advice outlines that if you are in the affected areas potentially affected by the earthquake or tsunami you should follow the advice of the local authorities.

The impact of the tsunami could last for hours or even more than a day, according to Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Centre in Alaska.

“A tsunami is not just one wave,” he told PA.

He explained: “It’s a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour – as fast as a jet aeroplane – in deep water.

“But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that’s where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there.

Traffic is backed up in Hawaii as people are trying to flee following the warnings (EUGENE TANNER / Getty Images)

“In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they’re going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,” which is why some communities may feel effects longer.

People around much of the Pacific have been advised to move to higher ground and warned that the potential danger may last for more than a day.

Russian news agencies quoting the regional Health Ministry have outlined that several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported.

And thankfully, most places where tsunami waves have already washed ashore have reported no significant damage so far.

According to reports, the earthquake appears to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off north-eastern Japan in March 2011.

It's also the joint-sixth strongest quake ever recorded on Earth.