Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's coastal neighbourhood has been swept into a state of alert following a colossal earthquake. The National Tsunami Warning Centre has sounded an advisory for parts of the US west coast, including California, in the wake of a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia last night. The warning encompasses Santa Barbara County, where Harry and Meghan have set up home in their lavish Montecito mansion, nestled within a star-studded coastal retreat.

Residents have been cautioned to steer clear of water, shun beaches, and avoid other waterways. Locals have been alerted that the peril "may continue for several hours after the initial wave". Despite this, the Montecito Fire Protection District has indicated that evacuations are not required. This isn't the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's residence has been under threat from natural calamities. Earlier in the year, they were on standby to flee their home due to the catastrophic wildfires ravaging California, reports the Mirror.

During the wildfires, their abode was situated in a "High Fire Risk Area", with warnings that "power may be shut off to prevent wildfires."

Fortunately, it seems the blazes did not encroach upon their seaside community.

Harry, aged 40, and Meghan, aged 43, acquired their estate for $14.65 million (£10.92m) back in the summer of 2020, and they currently reside there with their son Prince Archie, six, and daughter Princess Lilibet, four.

The expansive nine-bedroom residence in Montecito, purchased by the couple following their departure from the UK and Royal duties, was acquired for $14.6million (£11.6million).

However, recent valuations by property website Zillow suggest that the house could now fetch over $29million (£23.2million), indicating a staggering increase in value of £11.6million.

In other news, Alaska, certain regions of Oregon and Washington, as well as Hawaii, have all been included in an advisory issued by the National Tsunami Warning Centre.

The earthquake prompting this warning is believed to be the most powerful globally since the seismic event in March 2011.

That particular earthquake, which occurred off northeast Japan and registered a magnitude of 9.0, triggered a colossal tsunami that led to nuclear meltdowns at a Fukushima power plant. Only a handful of stronger earthquakes have been recorded worldwide.

A tsunami has already struck coastal regions of Russia's Kuril Islands and Hokkaido, Japan's large northern island. Residents were advised to seek higher ground in various locations, but areas where tsunami waves have already made landfall report no significant damage.

A tsunami measuring 60 centimetres was recorded at Hamanaka on Hokkaido, the northern Japanese island, and Kuji port in Iwate on the main island, an increase from the initial tsunami of 40cm, as per the Japan Meteorological Agency.

A spokesperson confirmed the arrival of the second or third tsunami waves, cautioning that high waves could persist for at least a day.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency has reported no injuries or damage, issuing an evacuation advisory to over 900,000 people along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Okinawa.