World War 3 warning: What would happen if North Korea’s hydrogen bomb hit Hawaii?

The University of Hawaii has sent an email to all students detailing the decisive action that should be taken in the event of a nuclear attack on the US’s closest state to North Korea.

The email reads: “In light of concerns about North Korea missile tests, state and federal agencies are providing information about nuclear threats and what to do in the unlikely event of a nuclear attack and radiation emergency.”

Pyongyang’s palpable nuclear threat is demonstrated further from the subject of the email that reads “in the event of a nuclear attack”.

Kim Jong-un tested the regime’s sixth and largest-ever nuclear test blast deep inside a mountain on September 3.

The hydrogen bomb test caused earthquakes of 5.6 and 6.1 magnitude that were felt in South Korea and Japan – and experts suggest the explosion could have yielded the energy of at least 150 kilotons worth of TNT.

And Express.co.uk reveals just how much destruction would be caused if such a bomb was dropped on Hawaii’s capital Honolulu.

According to Nukemap, if a 150kt h-bomb was dropped right on top of the city, it would create a fireball of around 1.09 square kilometres surrounding City Hall, Hawaii State Art Museum and Hawaii Pacific University and decimating Downtown Honolulu.

The core of a nuclear bomb can reach 150million Fahrenheit (66million Celsius) many times hot enough to vaporise rock, metal, and even reduce humans to nothing.

And Nukemap estimates the fiery blast would cause 508,720 deaths and 753,200 injuries.

Those living or working within 11.8 square kilometres of the strike are expected to see a 50 to 90 per cent mortality rate thanks to radiation – with death taking “between several hours and several weeks”.

This means anyone living within 1.94km of the city hall – including those on Sand Island and in Kaka’ako – would certainly face a grisly death if they weren’t immediately killed in the blast.

A 20psi blast (overpressure is measured in pounds per square inch) radius will spread to a 4.2km squared area around the centre of the strike and would see “heavily built concrete buildings severely damaged or demolished” in the explosion.

While a 5psi air blast, where “most residential buildings collapse” would cover 18.6 square kilometres – destroying huge swathes of the city, including parts of Kalihi-Palama and Ala Moana.

The Aloha Tower would be flattened along with the Children’s Discovery Centre and several schools and medical centres.

Thermal radiation causing third-degree burns would spread up to 68.4 square kilometres from the impact point, leaving those as far out as Mccuilly Moiliili, Waikiki, the lower punchbowl and parts of Fort Shafter – potentially leaving almost a million people with life-changing injuries.

Nukemap says: “Third degree burns extend throughout the layers of skin, and are often painless because they destroy the pain nerves.

“They can cause severe scarring or disablement, and can require amputation.”

Finally there’s the fallout. The spread of nuclear fallout is irregular because it depends on the direction of the wind, but it can be carried over hundreds of miles.

According to the The National Academies and the US Department of Homeland Security, fallout is worst at the explosion’s epicentre, but deadly levels of radiation can be observed from miles away.

When the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine suffered a meltdown in 1986, Increased levels of radiation were noted as far as Wales – over 2,300 km (1,400 miles) away.

But North Korea’s bomb is expected to be more powerful than the Chernobyl explosion.

In terms of a Hawaii strike, the estimated levels of radiation fallout, on a 15mph wind, could be anywhere between 23.3km and 6,480km squared – based on fallout contour being between 1,000 rads per hour and one per hour.

However, thankfully Hawaii is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean with San Francisco, one of the nearest parts of the US to the island, being a huge 2,393 miles away.

Dan Meisenzahl, the Director of Communications at the University of Hawaii, has stated that in hindsight the email should have been re-worded by stating the “last thing” he wanted to do was cause “any unnecessary concern”.

The contents of the email give information on how to deal with despot leader Kim Jong-un’s nuclear threat by informing students on where to take shelter.

The email sits in line with the state’s preparations that were implemented in July regarding the nuclear concern.

Hawaii seems a likely target in the event of a nuclear war due to the state’s close proximity to the isolationist nation than the rest of the US.

The email comes at a time leaders Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump find themselves fiercely locked in a war of words, amid fears the conflict could start World War 3.