A massive earthquake struck off the coast of Chile Wednesday, prompting officials to issue a tsunami alert.
American officials were also monitoring the 8.3 magnitude quake to see if tsunami waves would affect the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii, where it issued a watch.
Officials said that based on the preliminary parameters of the quake, at 12:54 p.m. local time near Central Chile, “widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible.”
The waves could affect the coasts of Chile and Peru, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS said it was monitoring the situation to see if Hawaii, the west coast and British Columbia, Canada, would be affected.
If tsunami waves were generated, weather service officials said the estimated earliest time of wave arrival would be 3:06 a.m. HST.
This is a developing story. Please check back in for updates.