LIVE: Tsunami alert for Pacific basin

Live coverage of the tsunami alert for Hawaii.

Live coverage of rescue operations after the 8.8 earthquake in Chile

0213: Blog readers Kent and Silvia Sharrar comment at 12.25am (Malaysian time): “We are Ewa Beach residents in Acapulco (at the Fairmont right on the beach). It came & went w/no effect. Loud crash when wave hit the beach.”

0122: Social networking site Twitter is being heavily used with about 500-1,000 updates per minute.

0105: The Malaysian Met Department issued a statement at 8.30 last night. “NO tsunami threat to Malaysia. However, those staying at coastal areas of Lahad Datu, Semporna, Tawau and Sandakan, Sabah are advised to be alert as there are likely to occur rough sea conditions and sea level rise starting tomorrow afternoon, 28 February 2010.”

0100: Sirens wail along the Hawaiian coast again.

0059: This will be a major event with dangerous waves for Hawaii, but nobody can predict how big the waves will be, says a televised warning.

0049: “Tsunami Alert Level 1 remains raised over the East Coast of Philippines”. Estimated time 1.00pm to 2.30pm. More details here.

0043: The estimated tsunami impact has been brought forward from 11.20am to 11.05am Hawaii time.

0041: A twitterer reports that a tsunami update has just hit French Polynesia at Gambier and was under 1 meter. No damage.

0032: New Hawaii tsunami info website set up here.

0005: Tsunami sirens wail in Hawaii at 6.00am local time. The tsunami is expected to hit Hawaii at 1119am (5.19am Malaysian time), according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. Alert affects all Hawaii islands.

Alert issued for entire Pacific basin.

The quake in Chile was the seventh strongest quake in the world since 1700.

2358: Tsunami alert for Acapulco, Mexico. CNN announces that the tsunami impact from Chile’s 8.8 earthquake should hit the Mexican coast at 0015, i.e. less than 20 minutes.