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The waves are expected to first reach remote Langara Island around 10:05 p.m.

The agency says "multiple waves over time" were expected on the B.C. coast, while reports from Russia and Japan say a tsunami has already hit some coastal areas.

Affected B.C. zones include the North Coast and Haida Gwaii, the Central Coast and northeastern Vancouver Island, including Kitimat, Bella Coola and Port Hardy, and the outer west coast of Vancouver Island from Cape Scott to Port Renfrew.

The tsunami advisory also covers the Juan de Fuca Strait from the Jordan River area to Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center had initially issued a lower-level tsunami watch, then upgraded it to an advisory that stretches from B.C.'s north coast south to California's border with Mexico.

The bulletin from Emergency Info BC said local governments in affected areas are urged to activate their emergency plans and consider evacuating marinas, beaches and other areas near the ocean.

The advisory posted by °µÍø½ûÇø Canada, meanwhile, said there is a "possibility of strong localized currents."

It said no significant inundation was expected, but low-lying coastal areas and beaches may be at risk.

The weather agency said people in coastal areas are advised to stay away from the shoreline and stay alert for any instructions from emergency authorities.

The advisory does not include the Strait of Georgia, Gulf Islands, Johnstone Strait or Greater Vancouver.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center website shows a tsunami advisory is the second of three warning levels used by the United States and Canada.

The quake struck just before 4:25 p.m. on Tuesday, occurring 136 kilometres southeast of Petropavlovsk in Russia's Kamchatka region.

If the preliminary magnitude of 8.7 is confirmed, the quake would be among the 10 most powerful recorded since 1900, and the most powerful since the devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake off Japan, according to a list compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Associated Press reported that tsunami warning sirens were blaring in Honolulu, where people were told to move to higher ground after the quake.

In Japan, the national meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning saying waves up to three metres high could arrive along the northeastern coast.

Damage and evacuations have been reported in parts of Russia nearest the epicentre on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Russia's Tass news agency reported from the largest city near the epicentre, Petropavlovsk, that many people ran out into the street without shoes or outerwear. Cabinets toppled inside homes, mirrors were broken, cars swayed in the street and balconies on buildings shook noticeably.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published July 29, 2025.

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version said the quake struck off the southwestern Russian coast. In fact, it was off the southeastern coast.