Hawaii is being warned that "urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property." Watches have been ordered for California, Oregon, Washington and a vast swath of Alaska’s coastline.

Japan's weather office on Thursday lifted a tsunami advisory imposed a day earlier after Russia's Far East was rocked by one of the strongest earthquakes on record.The beaching of four sperm whales on a beach in Japan was initially blamed on the earthquake but officials said the animals had washed up a day earlier.