A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s far east.

The small town of Severo-Kurilsk, at the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the North Pacific Ocean, was the first hit.

Several people were injured when a wave swept away buildings, reportedly including a fish-processing plant, as it surged inland.

Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS reported three tsunami waves had struck the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the last being the most powerful.

“In the port, vessels were torn from their moorings and carried into the strait,” it reported, citing the head of the municipal district.

Regional minister for emergency situations Sergei Lebedev said a tsunami of up to four metres had hit parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The earthquake – recorded by the US Geological Survey at a depth of 19.3 kilometres and centred about 125 kilometres east-south-east of the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – struck early on Wednesday.

Reuters reports damaged buildings and cars rocking in the streets of the city, which also had power and mobile phone service outages.

The Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest tremor in the region since 1952.

Within hours, there were warnings for as far away as New Zealand.

NZ’s Civil Defence issued a national alert for “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” from midnight (local time). It said all coastal areas of the North and South Islands were at risk, as well as some offshore islands.

“Stay off the beaches and shore areas,” it warned.

By Wednesday afternoon, warnings were issued across the Pacific by Chile and Peru, while there was also alarm for much of the American mainland.

The Integrated Tsunami Alert System of Mexico and Central America issued a tsunami alert.

“Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii,” US President Donald Trump also warned the island state through his Truth Social platform.

Also in Hawaii, a Disney resort on the island of Oahu warned guests to move out of the hotel’s first two floors.

“Guests who are in floors 1 – 2 should move to floor 3 and above,” a warning posted on the mobile app for Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa said.

There was a tsunami watch for the American island territory of Guam, islands of Micronesia and a vast swathe of Alaska’s coast.

There is no tsunami threat to Australia.

The remote town of Severo-Kurilsk is on the North Pacific Ocean. Image: Google Maps

Earlier, Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko said on Telegram there had been an evacuation order for Severo-Kurilsk, due to the tsunami threat. The town is home to about 2500 people.

“Residents of the settlement remain safe on higher ground until the threat of additional waves is fully lifted,” he said.

Regional health minister Oleg Melnikov told Russia’s TASS state news agency that several people had sought medical assistance following the quake.

“Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,” Melnikov said.

“All patients are currently in satisfactory condition, and no serious injuries have been reported so far.”

By midday (AEST), a wave of 30 centimetres had reportedly hit the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The Japan Weather Agency has said waves of up to three metres are expected.

Footage from Japanese broadcaster TBS showed factory workers and residents in Hokkaido evacuating to a hill overlooking the ocean.

“Please evacuate quickly. If you can move quickly to higher ground and away from the coast,” a NHK presenter said.

Workers were also reportedly evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear plant. It is on the island of Honshu, south of Hokkaido.

In 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima plant – largely considered the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

The Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said Wednesday’s quake was very powerful.

“However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high … as one might expect from such a magnitude,” it said in a video on Telegram.

“Aftershocks are currently ongoing … Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.”

Kamchatka and Russia’s far east sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

-with AAP