Tokyo, Nov. 15 (Reuters): Small tsunami waves hit Japan’s northernmost island late today after a major quake in the north Pacific triggered a full-scale tsunami warning for areas of northern Japan and Russia’s sparsely populated Kuril islands.

An initial tsunami of 40 cm came ashore near Nemuro on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido island, just before 1300 GMT, nearly two hours after the estimated 8.1 magnitude quake. Other waves of 10 to 20 cm were also recorded. There were no immediate reports of more significant waves either in Japan or in the Kuril islands.

Japanese officials had urged thousands of people to move to higher ground.

Authorities on the Russian island of Sakhalin said the quake struck near uninhabited islands at the centre of the Kuril chain, which stretches from Hokkaido to the Kamchatka peninsula.