Gauges at Nawiliwili, Waikiki, Hilo and Midway reported the passing of tsunami waves in Hawaii at around 3am local time. Webcams had also been set up to record the water surges and troughs with waves reported at Diamond Head.
Waves are currently reaching the Hawaii coast every 15 minutes. The height of the waves is above 6ft over the usual sea level, not taking into account the drawdown which occurs during a tsunami.
Emergency teams in Hawaii had around 8 hours to prepare for the tsunami, which was caused by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan.
In This Story: Hawaii
Hawaii is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland. It is the only state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state in the tropics.
Japan is an island country in East Asia located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan comprises an archipelago of 6,852 islands covering 377,975 square kilometers (145,937 sq mi); the country’s five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Tokyo is Japan’s capital and largest city.
Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.4 million residents.
Japan is a great power and a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations (since 1956), the OECD, and the G7. Japan is a leader in the automotive and electronics industries.