New Zealand rattled by magnitude 5.2 earthquake with residents reporting ‘sharp, short jolt’

A huge earthquake has rattled New Zealand, giving residents a ‘sharp and short’ jolt.

The earthquake was felt by more than 8000 people and hit in the centre of the country in Picton about 3.15pm on Sunday.

Those who felt the quake reported it as being a ‘quite sharp and short jolt’, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The earthquake was felt by more than 8000 people and hit in the centre of the country in Picton about 3.15pm on Sunday

A woman living in Nelson in the South Island said she felt the tremor, as did another person living in Hawke’s Bay in the North Island.

People took to Twitter to report they had felt the quake, which was recorded as a magnitude 5.2 on GeoNet.

New Zealand Civil Defence said the ‘Sunday shake’ was felt by ‘both sides of the Cook Strait’.

‘Jeepers don’t expect shakes like that when I’m not in Wellington. Got the heart racing in Motueka,’ one person said.

One person said they felt the shake from inside the country’s parliament buildings in Wellington. 

A Picton resident told Stuff they felt the earthquake on Sunday afternoon.

One person said they felt the shake from inside the country's parliament buildings in Wellington

One person said they felt the shake from inside the country’s parliament buildings in Wellington

‘It just rumbled through, didn’t do any damage. It just rattled the bottles.’

Another person tweeted that the earthquake ‘seemed to come out of nowhere’.

‘Sharp jolt that seemed to come out of nowhere here in Wellington, then a long tail of gentle rocking as the wave passed through.’ 

The quake struck 20km east of Nelson at a depth of 73km, GeoNet reported.

The shaking was described as being ‘moderate’.

The Ministry of Civil Defence warned people to ‘drop, cover and hold’ and to seek shelter if another quake hit. 

Those who felt the quake reported it as being a 'quite sharp and short jolt' (Picton pictured)

Those who felt the quake reported it as being a ‘quite sharp and short jolt’ (Picton pictured)

 



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