Tsunami warning for French Polynesia after Russia earthquake

Local authorities in French Polynesia have issued a tsunami warning for the Marquesas Islands archipelago, with waves of 1.10 to 2.20 metres expected to hit the islands of Ua Huka, Nuku Hiva, and Hiva Oa overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The warnings follow a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

Residents were urged to move to higher ground and follow official instructions, including securing boats or moving them away from the shore.

Other archipelagos in French Polynesia may be affected by waves less than 30 cm high, which do not require evacuation or sheltering, local authorities said.

French Polynesia covers 4,200 sq km of the Pacific Ocean, roughly the area of continental Europe. It consists of 118 islands, grouped into five archipelagos.

Reuters