yes been watching, the pictures are shocking. Houses and cars that look like bits of rubbish. the oceanographer on the news said each cubic metre of that water weighs a ton and at its strongest was moving at 500 miles an hour, so gives you some idea of the force.

Worst earthquake to hit Ja[pan in 140 years, the world is falling apart recently.

The poor people there, looks terrible on the news

That oil refinery on fire too, hope they can put that out quickly!

Hopefully it will peter out a bit before it hits countries that aren't as prepapred as Japan for things like this.

Just watching on sky news.............................poor Japan.  

I watched the video on BBC News of when it hit......just unbelievable.

Been watching this for half an hour since I got in from shopping.    It's on  EVERY news channel  .......  OMG, it's just absolutely terrible.    The full effect of it isn't known yet though, as it has to get to all those wee pacific islands and the states and NZ, and also like the phillipnes and so on........but as someone said, at least they are warned some hours in advance, and can get inland and up to the hills.  What about the islands that are 100% sea level though?    This is really bad......................

OMG at 11.36am GMT: a ship carrying 100 people has been swept away!    It was just on BBC news. 

The estimated times of the tsunami:

How awful!  The tv pictures are terrifying.  Seeing the destructive power of this and then the devastation of 30 foot waves destroying everything in its path.  I feel for the people affected.

Dreadful!
44 dead & 39 missing so far

I'm so upset watching the news pictures. Luckily my boyfriend's parents are in Europe on holiday, so thay're safe. He still has many friends and relatives there though, and news is very patchy. There's no phone service at the moment, though email is still working.

eek, hope he gets some positive news soon

Oh I thought of you as soon as I saw it on the news this morning.    

Just had a message on FB from a friend in Tokyo to say that the ground is still shaking to the extent that she's having to hide under the table.

still?

I don't know what to say..   nothing seems to fit.

According to a geologist they had on TV, it's quite possible that the aftershocks will go on longer in the Tokyo area longer than in the north.

pETER cAT, IT'S JUST HORRIBLE. i'M GLAD AT LEAST YOU'RE IMMEDIATE FAMILY IS SAFLY OUT of the region.
Sorry about caps, I'm on a laptop.

Terrible scenes on the news.Poor people didn't stand a chance in some areas when that big wall of murky water and debris crashed inland.

Just stated on the news it's one of the biggest earthquakes ever,as regards it's power.

PC you were the first person I thought of too x

Approx 300 bodies discovered off the coast of Sendai, a passenger train is missing,nobody knows how many people were on it and there is grave concern over the nuclear plant that couldn't control the cooling system....

Bloody hell.

just reading about the nuclear plant ..   

its not at OMG levels yet..   it might be ok....

ITV news said the Nuclear plants cooling system had stopped working

Hawaii just got hit with it too.. but doesn't look too bad there.. they evacuated in time I think..

awful thing to happen

They're saying that Hawaii could still see the worst of it cos the tide is receding, Olls, and apparently that's a sign that its on its way :/ They don't know when it will hit. BBC news on Twitter just said Kenya is now under threat, too.

Japan were prepared for Earthquakes and their buildings are designed to withstand them, but they're not designed for tsunamis.

Shocking, frightening, good luck to everyone affected and prayers for all suffering and who are in danger

The ground is still shaking every 10 minutes or so in Tokyo, though they do have electricity now.

I've got friends in Chibi

Over recent months (years?) the whole world seems to be exploding!
I hope your friends are alright Rawky - and yours too Peter C; I know you have a closeness to Japan.

Terrible events in Japan.... and special  for anyone who has friends over there...

I thought of the members here that have a close association with Japan ,I hope your loved ones are safe and well.

Channel 4 has made a last-minute change to its TV schedules to cover the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

This evening's 7pm news bulletin will be an Earthquake Special and has been extended from 30 minutes to a full hour.

Previously-scheduled documentary First Cut: The Only Gay On The Estate will now air on another night.

A second train is now unaccounted for. I cannot believe the pictures I'm seeing, there's one where a town is literally gone in seconds.

Me too Karma, you look at the footage and it loks like bits of debris in the water til it zooms in and they're ships and houses and cars

This is a huge disaster now,the speed is frightening..they were showing how it happened .Pacific tectonic underground plates are sliding into/under the Asian plates.The drop in the plates caused the Tsunamis etc. Looks like that is more dangerous now than the actual earthquake.Japan has the most earthquake proof buildings in the world.

On the news now,the  6th biggest Earthquake ever ..8,000 times stronger then the recent New Zealand one.

Jesus, just watching it on the news, terrible, terrible, terrible. Peter, Rawky and anyone else with a connection to family and friends

Whereabouts is that, Rawky?

the japs are releasing radioactive vapour to ease pressure at that nuclear reactor

tin hats on everybody..