EMSC · September 22, 2026

Magnitude 4.2 earthquake near Xinying, Taiwan

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded near 12 km SW of Yujing, Taiwan on Sep 22, 2026, 05:16 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8), at a depth of about 7.4 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-21 23:17 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 4.2 · local (Richter) magnitude
Location
12 km SW of Yujing, Taiwan
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 22, 2026, 05:16 AM — UTC+8
Time (UTC)
2026-09-21 21:16 UTC
Depth
7.4 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
23.210, 120.540
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)

Open the official catalog record

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 91,569 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 7,440,639 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Yujing12.4 km SW16,597
Xinying25.8 km WNW74,972
Chiayi City31.3 km NNW263,188
Pizitou32.2 km NNW5,000
Taibao34.9 km NW38,696
Yongkang35.7 km SW233,730
Tainan41.4 km SW1,856,642
Budai42.9 km WNW19,268
Xingang43.4 km NNW30,543
Beigang46.9 km NNW33,300

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Taiwan.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

1 other event within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 12 km SW of Yujing, Taiwan earthquake?

Magnitude 4.2 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 7.4 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?

Sep 22, 2026, 05:16 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8). In universal time: 2026-09-21 21:16 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 Yujing, 12.4 km SW (population 16,597).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.7 (21 km S of Puli, Taiwan, 1999), and 1 further events were recorded within 100 km 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), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.