Updated 3.55pm

THE WHITE HOUSE says that the United States appears to be out major danger from the tsunami caused by a major earthquake near Japan earlier today.

The White House chief of staff, Bill Daley, said in Washington this afternoon:

“The tsunami wave has gone through Hawaii and there does not seem to be any enormous impact, which is extremely encouraging.”

Regarding the situation on the west coast of the US, he added: “I think the enormous fears that that were there hours ago, for some of us hours ago, has diminished greatly, which is quite a relief for all of us,”

Earlier the San Francisco Police Department closed the Great Highway through the city as a precaution against a tsunami that had been predicted to batter the west coast of America.

ABC said that SFPD closed the highway between Point Lobos/48th Avenue to Lake Merced in advance of the predicted wave, which is the result of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan several hours ago.

Train services may also be suspended between 7-9am between West Oakland and Daly City. An official announcement was expected soon.

Additional reporting by Hugh O’Connell