Tropical Storm Iona forms in the central Pacific, no threat to Hawaii
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iona emerged Sunday from a tropical depression about 960 miles (1,545 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu. The storm is expected to strengthen further in coming days but currently poses no threat to Hawaii. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect.
The system gained tropical storm status with maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph (64 kph). It was moving in a generally westward direction at about 10 mph (16 kph).
Iona is the first named storm of the hurricane season in the central Pacific.
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CTV News
17 minutes ago
- CTV News
8.8-magnitude earthquake sends tsunami into coasts of Russia, Japan and Hawaii
This shows an empty beach in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, western Japan Wednesday, July 30, 2025 after beachgoers evacuated as a powerful earthquake in Russia's Far East prompted tsunami alert in parts of Japan. (Kyodo News via AP) TOKYO — One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. No substantial damage has been reported so far, but authorities warned people away from shorelines and said the risk could last more than a day. Ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia near the 8.8 magnitude quake's epicenter flooded as residents fled inland, and frothy, white waves washed up to the shore in northern Japan. Cars jammed streets and highways in Hawaii's capital, with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline. People went to evacuation centers in affected areas of Japan, with memories fresh of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused reactor meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. No abnormalities in operations at Japan's nuclear plants were reported Wednesday. Russian authorities said several people were injured, without giving a figure. In Japan, at least one person was injured. A tsunami height of 3-4 meters (10 to 13 feet) was recorded in Kamchatka, 60 centimeters (2 feet) on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and up to 1.4 feet (under 30 centimeters) above tide levels were observed in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Hours after the quake, Hawaii downgraded its tsunami warning to an advisory, while Japan's Meteorological Agency also lowered its alert to an advisory in the Pacific coast south of Fukushima. The alert still in place farther north. Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, the Adjutant General of the State of Hawaii Department of Defense, said an advisory means there is the potential for strong currents and dangerous waves, as well as flooding on beaches or in harbours. Hawaii and Oregon warn residents of potential damage The impact of the tsunami could last for hours or perhaps more than a day, said Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska. 'A tsunami is not just one wave,' he said. 'It's a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour -- as fast as a jet airplane -- in deep water. But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that's where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there.' 'In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they're going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,' which is why some communities may feel effects longer, he said. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is between Japan and Hawaii, measured waves from peak to trough of 6 feet (1.8 meters). He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a 3-foot (90-centimeter) wave riding on top of surf, he said. 'This is a longitudinal wave with great force driving through the shoreline and into land,' he said at a news conference. Green said Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people. 'But please do not put yourself in harm's way,' he said. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said on Facebook that small tsunami waves were expected along the coast starting around 11:40 p.m. local time, with wave heights between 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters). It urged people to stay away from beaches, harbors and marinas and to remain in a safe location away from the coast until the advisory is lifted. 'This is not a major tsunami, but dangerous currents and strong waves may pose a risk to those near the water,' the department said. Much of the West Coast, spanning California, Washington state, and the Canadian province of British Columbia, was also under a tsunami advisory. A tsunami of less than 30 centimeters (under 1 foot) was forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The province's emergency preparedness agency said waves were expected to reach remote Langara Island around 10:05 p.m. Tuesday and Tofino around 11:30 p.m. The agency said 'multiple waves over time' were expected. Russian regions report limited damage The quake at 8:25 a.m. Japan time had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japanese and U.S. seismologists said. The U.S. Geological Survey later updated its strength to 8.8 magnitude and a depth of 20.7 kilometers (13 miles). The quake was centered about 119 kilometers (74 miles) east-southeast from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed. Severokurilsk Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said the port in the city was flooded by tsunami waves, washing fishing boats into the sea. He said that no major damage was recorded. Power supplies have been shut and the authorities were checking the power network after the flooding. Among the world's strongest recorded quakes The earthquake appeared to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off northeastern Japan in March 2011 that caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world. The tsunami alert disrupted transportation in Japan, with ferries, trains and airports in the affected area suspending or delaying some operations. A tsunami of 60 centimeters (2 feet) was recorded at Hamanaka town in Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Several areas reported smaller waves including 20 centimeters (8 inches) in Tokyo Bay five hours after the quake. In Japan's northern coastal town of Matsushima, dozens of residents took refuge at an evacuation center, where water bottles were distributed and an air conditioner was running. One person told NHK she came to the facility without hesitation based on the lesson from the 2011 tsunami. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi warned evacuees that they may not be able to return home by the end of the day, as the tsunami waves could remain high. Japanese nuclear power plants reported no abnormalities. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant damaged by the 2011 tsunami said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter on higher ground at the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure safety. Philippine authorities advised people to stay away from the beach and coastal areas. 'It may not be the largest of waves, but these can continue for hours and expose people swimming in the waters to danger,' Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told The Associated Press. Mexico's navy warned that tsunami waves will start reaching the northern coast in Ensenada, near California, at around 02:22 a.m. Wednesday local time, and waves could progress along the Pacific coast to Chiapas state, around 07:15 a.m. local time. New Zealand authorities warned of 'strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges' along all coastlines of the South Pacific island nation. The emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and away from harbors, marinas, rivers and estuaries. People were urged to stay away from coastlines until any wave surges passed late Wednesday in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands. Some tiny and low-lying Pacific island chains are among the world's most imperiled by tsunamis and rising seas due to climate change. Earlier in July, five powerful quakes — the largest with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea near Kamchatka. The largest quake was at a depth of 20 kilometers and was 144 kilometers (89 miles) east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. ___ This story has corrected the wave height forecast in Oregon to between 1 and 2 feet, not 1 and 3 feet. By Mari Yamaguchi
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rescuers race to reach injured German Olympian stranded on a northern Pakistan mountain
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers comprising local mountaineers and porters resumed efforts on Wednesday to reach injured German Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier on a peak in northern Pakistan, officials said. Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, said rescuers were racing against time to reach Dahlmeier despite bad weather on the Laila Peak, where she has been stranded since Monday following a mountaineering accident. Dahlmeier, who also won the 2017 women's biathlon World Cup, was climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range when she was struck by falling rocks. Climbers including two Americans attempting the same ascent are trying to join the rescue operation. Military helicopters were on standby but have been unable to deploy due to low visibility and ongoing bad weather and rainfall, Faraq said. Dahlmeier, 31, will be brought to the city of Skardu when she is rescued, Faraq said. Local authorities launched the rescue mission Monday after receiving a distress signal from Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, who managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers Tuesday. Dahlmeier was injured at an altitude of about 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) around noon Monday, according to her management team in Germany. German broadcaster ZDF reported she suffered serious injuries in a rockfall. 'There is still no clarity on her condition,' Alpine Club of Pakistan Vice President Karrar Haidri told The Associated Press. 'She sustained serious injuries, but she has oxygen with her, and injured climbers have been known to survive for days.' 'With heavy clouds choking the sky and rain falling on the high slopes of Laila Peak, rescuers are pushing through dangerous terrain to reach her,' Haidri said. Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes. The region has also been battered by above-normal seasonal rains, triggering flash floods and landslides. Since last week, at least 20 Pakistani tourists have been missing after floodwaters swept them away near the northern district of Chilas.
Toronto Star
7 hours ago
- Toronto Star
An earthquake off Russia has set off tsunami warnings and advisories. Here's what to know
HONOLULU (AP) — A powerful earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific, including Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. The quake registered a magnitude of 8.8 and was centered off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor struck early Wednesday local time, which was still Tuesday in the U.S.
