USGS · August 15, 2026
Magnitude 4.9 earthquake — 62 km ESE of Yilan, Taiwan
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake was recorded near 62 km ESE of Yilan, Taiwan on Aug 15, 2026, 07:30 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8), at a depth of about 65.2 km, according to USGS.
USGSFelt by 1 person · community intensity II (weak)Shallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist
Updated 2026-09-04 18:47 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 4.9 · body-wave magnitude
- Location
- 62 km ESE of Yilan, Taiwan
- Local time at the epicentre
- Aug 15, 2026, 07:30 PM — UTC+8
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-08-15 11:30 UTC
- Depth
- 65.2 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
- Coordinates
- 24.486, 122.295
- Felt reports
- Felt by 1 person · community intensity II (weak)
- Tsunami
- No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
- Significance
- 370 / 1000 · notable event
- Solution quality
- 53 seismic stations used · 56° 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
Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.
People who reported it described intensity II (Weak): Felt by a few people at rest, mostly on upper floors.
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
About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 8,949,097 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Yilan | 62.5 km WNW | 94,188 |
| Yonakuni | 71.4 km E | 1,684 |
| Pinglin | 77.3 km NW | 6,503 |
| Xiulin | 79.0 km WSW | 17,068 |
| Jiufen | 82.9 km NNW | 3,100 |
| Shiding | 85.7 km NW | 7,370 |
| Wulai | 86.1 km WNW | 6,182 |
| Hualien City | 90.0 km SW | 99,458 |
| Keelung | 90.9 km NW | 362,487 |
| Xizhi | 90.9 km NW | 204,619 |
Earthquake history in this area
No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Japan.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
1 other event within 100 km in the last 30 days.
Be first to know about the next earthquake near 62 km ESE of Yilan, Taiwan
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Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 62 km ESE of Yilan, Taiwan earthquake?
Magnitude 4.9 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 65.2 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 15, 2026, 07:30 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+8). In universal time: 2026-08-15 11:30 UTC.
Was it felt?
Felt by 1 person · community intensity II (weak). Felt by a few people at rest, mostly on upper floors.
Was there a tsunami warning?
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Which towns are closest to the epicentre?
The closest is Yilan, 62.5 km WNW (population 94,188).
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
1 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.