Will tsunami waves off Japan’s coast reach Indian shores? What authorities said

Waves measuring up to 50 centimeters lashed the Japanese coast after a strong earthquake of 8.7 magnitude hit Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning. Thousands were evacuated from  Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa islands and the Pacific coasts of Hokkaido and Honshu after authorities forecasted waves up to 3 meters high.

While alerts are in place in the US’s Hawaii besides Japan, speculations are also rife about its impact in Indian shores. However, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has said that there is no threat to India.

A post by INCOIS on X read: “NO TSUNAMI THREAT to India and Indian Ocean in connection with this earthquake.”

It added, “Tsunami Warning Centre, @ESSO_INCOIS detected an #earthquake of M 8.7 on 30 July 2025 at 04:54 IST (29 July 2025 at 23:24 UTC) @ Off East Coast of Kamchatka (Location: 52.57 N, 160.08 E).”

The 2011 Japan tsunami too didn’t have any impact on the Indian ocean as the distance between Japan and the Indian Ocean is vast, and the tsunami's energy would have dissipated significantly by the time it reached the Indian Ocean.  

Besides Japan, tsunami warnings have been issued for Taiwan, the Philippines, Hawaii, Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, and parts of Indonesia, with advisories in place for much of the US West Coast.

Meanwhile, another 6.3-6.5 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Bay of Bengal and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday, too, will have no impact on India.  

Advisory in the US

That said, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco on Wednesday said it is closely monitoring the potential tsunami threat following a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. It also urged Indian nationals in coastal areas to follow instructions if a tsunami warning is issued.

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