A massive 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s eastern coast early Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific and along the U.S. West Coast.

One of the world's strongest earthquakes struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that caused tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south toward New Zealand.

Western US states like Washington, Oregon and Alaska, as well as British Colombia in Canada, are on alert. The first waves hit the state of Hawaii (see above) and now California, with initial measurements from the National Tsunami Warning Centre of waves at 0.48m hitting Arena Cove.