More than 1.9 million people across Japan have been urged to move to safer ground, as tsunami waves hit various parts of the coast and transport is disrupted nationwide – though the waves remain much smaller than previously forecast.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued localised evacuation orders affecting 1,905,596 people across 21 prefectures, the largest numbers of evacuees coming from Hokkaido, Kanagawa and Wakayama prefectures.

The first waves hit Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, where video shared by Reuters and the Nippon News Network showed people taking shelter on a roof. Tsunami sirens could be heard blaring through parts of the island on Wednesday morning.

Tsunami waves measuring about 30 to 50 centimeters are being recorded along the east coast, inching closer to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, according to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency. That’s far below the initial forecast of up to three meters, though that could change, and additional waves could follow.

Transport is also being disrupted, with Sendai international airport – on the Pacific coast, north of Tokyo – closing its runway. Ferries running from Hokkaido, Aomori, and Tokyo Bay have also been suspended.

There are currently no issues at the Fukushima nuclear plant, located just below Sendai, where the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused a severe nuclear accident.

The state-owned Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which oversees the plant, said on Wednesday it had evacuated all personnel to higher ground, with no injuries reported, and no abnormalities at the plant.

Source: CNN
--Agencies