Earthquake, tsunami: travellers warned to follow evacuation advice in US, Japan, Pacific

Smartraveller has updated its travel advice for the US, Japan and countries in the Pacific following a magnitude 8.6 earthquake in Russia on Wednesday, July 30, which could affect holidaymakers.

The earthquake has occurred approximately 60 kilometres offshore from the southern tip of the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia.

A tsunami warning is in place for the west coast of the US including Alaska and Hawaii and there's an evacuation order in place for Hawaii.

"If you're in the affected area, move to higher ground immediately," Smartraveller says.

"If there's an official evacuation warning, immediately follow the advice of local authorities."

Effects are also being felt in Japan, with evacuation warnings across most of Japan's east coast.

"A tsunami is possible along the eastern coast of Japan with a height of up to 3 metres," says Smartraveller.

"Move to higher ground immediately. If there's an official evacuation warning, immediately follow the advice of local authorities."

The warnings are also in place for Pacific Islands including Philippines, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue and Palau. Also affected are Marshall Islands, Guam, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

The quake off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday was the strongest since 1952, the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said.