USGS · August 5, 2026
Magnitude 6.3 earthquake — south of the Kermadec Islands
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake was recorded near south of the Kermadec Islands on Aug 5, 2026, 07:43 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC), at a depth of about 216.7 km, according to USGS.
USGSFelt by 14 people · community intensity III (weak)Shaking IIIPAGER GreenIntermediate (70–300 km)Reviewed by a seismologist
Updated 2026-09-04 07:17 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 6.3 · moment magnitude (W-phase)
- Location
- south of the Kermadec Islands
- Local time at the epicentre
- Aug 5, 2026, 07:43 AM — UTC
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-08-05 07:43 UTC
- Depth
- 216.7 km · Intermediate (70–300 km)
- Coordinates
- -33.697, 179.468
- Felt reports
- Felt by 14 people · community intensity III (weak)
- Estimated shaking
- III · Weak
- PAGER impact alert
- Green — No casualties or significant damage expected.
- Tsunami
- No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
- Significance
- 615 / 1000 · major event
- Solution quality
- 86 seismic stations used · 48° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
- Review status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
- Catalog
- USGS
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
At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.
Estimated instrumental shaking III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.
People who reported it described intensity III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.
Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.
Who lives nearby
No populated places over 1,000 inhabitants are listed within 100 km of the epicentre.
Earthquake history in this area
No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.
Be first to know about the next earthquake near south of the Kermadec Islands
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Frequently asked questions
How strong was the south of the Kermadec Islands earthquake?
Magnitude 6.3 (moment magnitude (W-phase)), at a depth of 216.7 km. At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.
Exactly when did it happen?
Aug 5, 2026, 07:43 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC). In universal time: 2026-08-05 07:43 UTC.
Was it felt?
Felt by 14 people · community intensity III (weak). Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.
Was there a tsunami warning?
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Which towns are closest to the epicentre?
No populated places over 1,000 inhabitants lie within 100 km of the epicentre.
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
0 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.