JAPAN - The aftershocks of the Chilean earthquake continue, now with small tsunami waves showing up on the coast of Japan.
After Wednesday's 8.3 magnitude earthquake, four aftershocks of 6.0 magnitude or greater occurred, including two on Thursday.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported this morning that a wave of 80 centimeters (31 inches) was recorded on the northeastern side of the country.
The agency issued a tsunami advisory early Friday for Japan's entire Pacific coast, from Hokkaido in the North to Okinawa in the South. No injury or damages have been reported from the waves, according to The Weather Channel, but some coastal towns have issued evacuation advisories as a precautionary step.
Agency official Yohei Hasegawa warned residents to stay away from coastal areas, saying, "At this level of tsunami we don't have to worry that the land will be inundated, but underwater currents could be very strong and you may be washed away.”
Hasegawa also added that waves reached northern Japan first and were moving toward the southwest, including that the agency expects the swelling of the waves to continue and go as high as 1 meter (40 inches).
In Hawaii, tsunami waves hit early Thursday morning, reaching a magnitude of 3 feet at Hilo and 2.2 feet in Kahului, Maui, The Weather Channel reports. The Pacific Typhoon Warning Center has since canceled the tsunami advisory for Hawaii.
The U.S. government's National Tsunami Warning Center also issued a tsunami advisory for Southern California, including coastal areas of the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange. The advisory was canceled at yesterday around noon PDT.
Keep watching AndNowUKnow for more updates on the events following the Chilean earthquake.
