A magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit 25 kilometres northeast of Seddon on Tuesday at 5:49 pm, with more than 11,000 people reporting feeling the tremor.
GeoNet reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 12 kilometres, producing moderate shaking.
The tremor was felt at the top of the South Island and as far north as the Tararua District. In Wellington, a reporter described the quake as a sudden jolt with loud shaking sounds and side-to-side movement, but noted that it was brief.
A M4.9 earthquake occurred in the Cook Strait 5:49PM this evening. Moderate shaking was felt across the Wellington and Marlborough regions and we have received 10,000+ felt reports. For more detail, see https://t.co/fPsb7Yjwsu pic.twitter.com/7SjgRSOjPK
— GeoNet (@geonet) October 1, 2024
