USGS · September 26, 2026

Magnitude 6.6 earthquake near Tadine, New Caledonia

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake was recorded near 80 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia on Sep 26, 2026, 08:23 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+11), at a depth of about 10.0 km, according to USGS.

USGSFelt by 10 people · community intensity III (weak)Shaking VIShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-25 23:18 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 6.6 · moment magnitude (W-phase)
Location
80 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 26, 2026, 08:23 AM — UTC+11
Time (UTC)
2026-09-25 21:23 UTC
Depth
10.0 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
-21.298, 168.610
Felt reports
Felt by 10 people · community intensity III (weak)
Estimated shaking
VI · Strong
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
673 / 1000 · major event
Solution quality
102 seismic stations used · 35° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
USGS

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.

Estimated instrumental shaking VI (Strong): Felt by all; furniture moves and some plaster and weak chimneys break.

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

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 7,492 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Tadine80.5 km WSW7,492

Earthquake history in this area

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

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 80 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia earthquake?

Magnitude 6.6 (moment magnitude (W-phase)), at a depth of 10.0 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 26, 2026, 08:23 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+11). In universal time: 2026-09-25 21:23 UTC.

Was it felt?

Felt by 10 people · community intensity III (weak). Felt by all; furniture moves and some plaster and weak chimneys break.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Tadine, 80.5 km WSW (population 7,492).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.5 (166 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia, 2018), 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.