EMSC · September 23, 2026
Magnitude 1.6 earthquake near Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal
A magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded near 7 km WNW of Vila, Portugal on Sep 23, 2026, 05:44 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+1), at a depth of about 23.7 km, according to EMSC.
EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist
Updated 2026-09-23 06:47 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 1.6 · local (Richter) magnitude
- Location
- 7 km WNW of Vila, Portugal
- Local time at the epicentre
- Sep 23, 2026, 05:44 AM — UTC+1
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-09-23 04:44 UTC
- Depth
- 23.7 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
- Coordinates
- 41.994, -8.085
- 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 33,760 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 3,251,800 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Vila | 7.3 km WNW | — |
| Entrimo | 7.3 km SSW | 1,351 |
| San Pedro de Muiños | 9.9 km ESE | 1,962 |
| Bande | 10.0 km ENE | 2,310 |
| Lobios | 13.3 km S | — |
| Verea | 14.3 km NNE | 1,403 |
| Quintela de Leirado | 16.2 km N | 812 |
| Padrenda | 16.4 km NNW | 2,433 |
| Calvos | 16.4 km ESE | 1,187 |
| Porqueira | 19.6 km E | — |
Earthquake history in this area
11 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Spain.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
16 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.
M 1.5 7 km SSE of Pías, Spain
M 2.0 2 km NW of Vedra, Spain
M 1.5 6 km NNE of Pías, Spain
M 1.6 2 km NNW of O Carballiño, Spain
M 1.6 5 km E of San Amaro, Spain
M 2.1 9 km SW of Chantada, Spain
M 1.6 6 km NW of A Pobra do Brollon, Spain
M 1.5 5 km WSW of Taboadela, Spain
M 2.1 7 km ENE of Porto, Spain
Be first to know about the next earthquake near 7 km WNW of Vila, Portugal
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 7 km WNW of Vila, Portugal earthquake?
Magnitude 1.6 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 23.7 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 23, 2026, 05:44 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+1). In universal time: 2026-09-23 04:44 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 Vila, 7.3 km WNW.
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 5.4 (3 km NW of Becerreá, Spain, 1997), and 16 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.