After an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on Friday, the US National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for at least 50 countries and territories.

Russia, Central American countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, as well as the US state of Hawaii, are among the countries on the list. The alert from the National Weather Service stated that it was meant "as assistance to government agencies."

The quake, which struck near Honshu, Japan's coast on Friday afternoon, released a wall of water that raced in toward land, destroying houses and slamming automobiles in its path, killing hundreds of people.

A spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Friday that some officials feared tsunami waves might be so powerful that they would sweep over entire islands in the Pacific.

On the island of Guam, the tsunami warning has been lifted, which is wonderful news. There was no damage or injuries reported by the police. The warning issued by Indonesia has likewise been removed.

"It might be anywhere between 4 and 10 meters, according to experts. That's higher than the elevation of several Pacific islands. We only need to do the math to understand that this is a serious concern "Paul Conneally, a federation official, remarked

On Guam, the tsunami warning has been lifted, which is wonderful news. No damage or injuries were reported by the police. The warning issued by Indonesia was likewise lifted.

"It might be anywhere between 4 and 10 meters long, according to experts. Above sea level, this is higher than several Pacific islands. It's only a matter of doing the math to understand that this is a serious threat "Paul Conneally, a federation spokesman, said:

"We must prepare for the worst-case scenario in a situation like this," he added.

"Washing over islands is not going to happen," said Gerard Fryer of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, despite the fact that waves may produce substantial flooding.

Tsunami waves can reach speeds of up to 800 km/h.

"The tsunami is made up of multiple waves that can be 20 minutes or half an hour apart. So just because you see a wave rise and then fall back into the ocean doesn't mean it's finished "Fryer explained.

Around 10 p.m. (3 a.m. ET) on Thursday, sirens sounded throughout Hawaii, warning people that tsunami waves would arrive five hours later.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Kauai was the first Hawaiian island to be impacted by the waves, which spread over the rest of the chain as six-foot surges drove waves ashore.

Ocean surges, according to officials, can send water up to a quarter mile inland.

The Tsunami Warning Center for the West Coast and Alaska issued a tsunami warning for coastal locations along the US and Canadian west coastlines early Friday. The tsunami warning extends from Point Conception to the Oregon-Washington border in California and Oregon. It also covers the Alaskan coast from Amchitka Pass to Attu.

Wendy Watson-Wright of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization warned nations to be on alert.

"This is a large one," she said, "and it will have varying consequences based on the location, the seabed, and other factors." "However, this is clearly a very huge problem, and from that standpoint, all countries must be attentive and on standby for the time being."

The Philippine government has ordered the evacuation of 20 coastal regions. Officials said they were receiving reports of "strange waves" striking the coast from Isabela province.

Waves have battered the coastal towns of Aparri, Cagayan, and Basco, Batanes, according to the country's Disaster Management Director Benito Ramos.

After a tsunami warning was issued for the Kuril Islands, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry stated more than 11,000 people residing in risky locations had been evacuated. The government said ships docked in open ports were moving back out to sea to avoid being slammed by tsunami waves.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center's Chip McCreary said officials estimated the quake was already creating waves up to 2 meters above normal sea level.

"This has been a massive earthquake. It's around the same size as the Chilean earthquake last year, according to our estimates. It is, however, far closer to the Hawaiian islands than the earthquake in Chile "he stated

At around 12:00 ET, waves are forecast to pound the coasts of both Australia and Chile.

After a tsunami warning was issued for the Kuril Islands, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry stated more than 11,000 people residing in risky locations had been evacuated. The government said ships docked in open ports were moving back out to sea to avoid being slammed by tsunami waves.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center's Chip McCreary said officials estimated the quake was already creating waves up to 2 meters above normal sea level.

"This has been a massive earthquake. It's around the same size as the Chilean earthquake last year, according to our estimates. It is, however, far closer to the Hawaiian islands than the earthquake in Chile "he stated

At around 12:00 ET, waves are forecast to pound the coasts of both Australia and Chile.

Japan, Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and the United States are among the countries on the National Weather Service's list.

A number of Pacific islands, as well as some US territory, are included in the list.

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Friday was the country's most powerful since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Banda Aceh region on Dec. 26, 2004, generating a horrific tsunami that killed 250,000 people in 14 countries and wiped out entire villages. According to the United Nations, the tsunami caused $10 billion in damage and killed more than any previous tsunami in history.

The earthquake was increased from a 7.8 magnitude tremor to an 8.9 magnitude tremor after initial reports.

"When you move from a magnitude of 7 to 8.9, it's not ten times stronger, it's 1000 times stronger," CNN International meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said. "There will be a lot of damage from an earthquake that is so shallow and close to the beach."