Quake hits Kuriles, tsunami warning in Japan, West Coast Alaska, BC

TOKYO (Reuters) - An 8.1 quake was recorded in the Kurile islands on Wednesday, and a tsunami warning issued for eastern Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, NHK public television said.

The first waves of the tsunami, which was expected to arrive shortly after noon British time, were predicted to range from 1 to 2 metres in Hokkaido. The site of the quake was roughly 1,700 km northwest of Tokyo.

Hokkaido residents reported feeling little to no shaking from the earthquake.

The Kuriles are known as the Chishima islands in Japan and are part of the northern territories, the subject of a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia.