EMSC · August 20, 2026
Magnitude 3.3 earthquake — SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was recorded near SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND on Aug 20, 2026, 05:03 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+12), at a depth of about 64.3 km, according to EMSC.
EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist
Updated 2026-09-04 18:46 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 3.3 · m
- Location
- SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
- Local time at the epicentre
- Aug 20, 2026, 05:03 PM — UTC+12
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-08-20 05:03 UTC
- Depth
- 64.3 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
- Coordinates
- -44.615, 168.077
- Felt reports
- No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
- Tsunami
- No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
- Review status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
- Catalog
- EMSC (Centro Sismológico Euromediterráneo)
Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes
The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.
What the shaking was like
Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.
No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.
Who lives nearby
About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 40,253 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Arthurs Point | 61.9 km SE | 1,280 |
| Queenstown | 65.2 km SE | 10,442 |
| Arrowtown | 68.1 km ESE | 2,151 |
| Frankton | 68.7 km SE | 3,780 |
| Jack's Point | 73.4 km SE | 4,300 |
| Wanaka | 85.3 km E | 13,200 |
| Te Anau | 93.5 km SSW | 2,910 |
| Lake Hawea | 93.6 km E | 2,190 |
Earthquake history in this area
No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in New Zealand.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
26 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.
M 3.4 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.5 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.4 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.3 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.4 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.4 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.3 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.6 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
M 3.0 SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
Be first to know about the next earthquake near SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
SeismoWatch pushes a notification to your Android phone within minutes of a matching earthquake — for the area and magnitude you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How strong was the SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND earthquake?
Magnitude 3.3 (m), at a depth of 64.3 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.
Exactly when did it happen?
Aug 20, 2026, 05:03 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+12). In universal time: 2026-08-20 05:03 UTC.
Was it felt?
No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.
Was there a tsunami warning?
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Which towns are closest to the epicentre?
The closest is Arthurs Point, 61.9 km SE (population 1,280).
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
26 further events were recorded within 100 km of the epicentre in the last 30 days.
How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?
Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.
About this page
Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.