Tsunami waves began hitting the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia early on Wednesday, but the waves were forecast to be smaller than initially feared,

Local authorities in French Polynesia have issued a tsunami warning for the Marquesas Islands archipelago, with waves of 1.10 to 2.20 meters expected to hit the islands of Ua Huka, Nuku Hiva, and Hiva Oa overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Tsunami warnings have been issued in several countries after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia, with millions evacuated across Russia, the US and Japan