China issues tsunami warning after powerful Kamchatka quake

China issued a tsunami warning Wednesday in some coastal areas after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, according to state-run media.

The Ministry of Natural Resources issued a yellow tsunami alert for some areas, CGTN reported.

Tsunami waves are expected to reach coastal areas of Shanghai in the evening with a predicted maximum wave height of 30 centimeters.

Taiwan also issued a tsunami watch, and the Central Weather Administration warned that tsunami waves could reach Taiwan's coast by 1.18 p.m. (0518GMT).

The Philippines also warned its residents in the coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean of a "tsunami wave height of less than 1 meter" following the powerful earthquake.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake generated tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean region, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The epicenter was located at a depth of 20.7 kilometers (12.8 miles) and was centered 119 kilometers (73.9 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, it said.