Debris from the tsunami
© KITV/ABCOn its way: Debris from the tsunami is approaching Hawaii
Televisions, fridges and furniture pieces are heading for Hawaii, as a huge amount of debris from Japan's earthquake sails across the Pacific.

Up to 20 million tons of debris from the earthquake in March is traveling faster than expected and could reach the U.S. West Coast in three years.

A Russian ship's crew spotted the debris - which included a 20ft long fishing boat - last month after passing the Midway Islands.

'We have a rough estimate of 5 to 20 million tons of debris coming from Japan,' University of Hawaii researcher Jan Hafner told KITV.

Experts have revised predictions to say the debris will now reach the Midway Islands by winter and Hawaii in less than two years.

Crew members on the Russian training ship STS Pallada spotted the debris 2,000 miles from Japan, including a fishing boat from Fukushima, reported AFP.

'They saw some pieces of furniture, some appliances, anything that can float - and they picked up a fishing boat,' Mr Hafner told KITV.

Debris wave
© GoogleDebris wave: Up to 20 million tons of debris from the earthquake is travelling faster than expected and could reach the U.S. West Coast in three years
A crew member told AFP: 'We keep sighting things like wooden boards, plastic bottles, buoys from fishing nets [small and big ones], an object resembling a wash basin, drums, boots, other wastes.'

'We also sighted a TV set, fridge and a couple of other home appliances.'

A spokesman for the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaii said: 'The Russian ship... found an array of unmistakable tsunami debris on its homeward voyage from Honolulu to Vladivostok.'

fishing boat from Fukushima
© KITV/ABCSalvaged: Crew members on the Russian training ship STS Pallada spotted the debris almost 2,000 miles from Japan, including a fishing boat from Fukushima
Some of the lighter debris is moving quicker than expected. 'We don't want to create a panic, but it's good to know it's coming,' Mr Hafner added.

Japan was badly hit by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, which left 20,000 people dead or missing.

The quake damaged cooling systems at the Fukushima plant, which resulted in the worst atomic disaster in the world since Chernobyl in 1986.

Japan is struggling in part because tourists are worried about visiting, so the country's tourist board is giving away 10,000 free flights.

Scientists are eager to track where the debris is heading because it can threaten small ships as well as coastlines, reported LiveScience.