Japan Lifts All Tsunami Advisories Issued After Kamchatka Earthquake

All Advisories Lifted as of 4:30 p.m. on the 31st
Tsunami Warnings Downgraded to Advisories the Previous Day
"Tsunamis Still Being Observed... Continued Caution Needed"

According to local media outlets such as NHK and Nikkei, all tsunami advisories that had been issued for Japan's Pacific coast and other areas following a major earthquake on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia were lifted as of 4:30 p.m. on July 31.

The sea of Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued advisories for most of the Pacific coastal regions at around 8:37 a.m. after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck the Kamchatka Peninsula the previous day. At around 9:40 a.m., the agency upgraded the warning to a higher-level tsunami warning for more than half of those areas. Later that night, the tsunami warnings were downgraded to advisories, which remained in effect until the afternoon of July 31.

In Japan, a tsunami warning is issued when a tsunami of 3 meters or higher is expected, while a tsunami advisory is issued when a tsunami of 1 meter is expected. When a tsunami warning is issued, people must immediately evacuate to higher ground or a safe building, and in advisory areas, people are instructed to move away from the coast.

The Meteorological Agency stated, "Even though the tsunami advisory has been lifted, tsunamis are still being observed," and emphasized, "People should exercise great caution when entering the sea for work or swimming."

On the previous day, a tsunami with a maximum height of 1.3 meters was observed at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Honshu, and tsunamis of several tens of centimeters reached various parts of Japan. There were also damages caused by the tsunami. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference that there were reports of damage to oyster farming facilities in Miyagi Prefecture. He also reported that a woman in her 50s who was attempting to evacuate died in a car accident, one person was seriously injured, and six others sustained minor injuries after falling during the evacuation process.