USGS · September 15, 2026
Magnitude 4.9 earthquake — 66 km SSW of Patea, New Zealand
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake was recorded near 66 km SSW of Patea, New Zealand on Sep 15, 2026, 10:44 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+12), at a depth of about 102.6 km, according to USGS.
USGSFelt by 11 people · community intensity III (weak)Shaking IIIPAGER GreenIntermediate (70–300 km)Reviewed by a seismologist
Updated 2026-09-15 00:16 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 4.9 · body-wave magnitude
- Location
- 66 km SSW of Patea, New Zealand
- Local time at the epicentre
- Sep 15, 2026, 10:44 AM — UTC+12
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-09-14 22:44 UTC
- Depth
- 102.6 km · Intermediate (70–300 km)
- Coordinates
- -40.330, 174.232
- Felt reports
- Felt by 11 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
- 373 / 1000 · notable event
- Solution quality
- 53 seismic stations used · 30° 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
About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 161,971 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Patea | 67.0 km NNE | 1,286 |
| Hawera | 82.2 km N | 10,700 |
| Whanganui | 82.3 km ENE | 49,200 |
| Foxton Beach | 85.6 km E | 2,190 |
| Manaia | 87.1 km N | 1,070 |
| Otaki Beach | 88.2 km ESE | 2,120 |
| Normanby | 88.7 km N | 1,070 |
| Foxton | 90.7 km E | 4,780 |
| Raumati Beach | 91.0 km SE | 5,390 |
| Otaki | 91.0 km ESE | 6,086 |
Earthquake history in this area
12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in New Zealand.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
10 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.
M 3.6 COOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND
M 4.0 COOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND
M 4.6 28 km NW of Raumati Beach, New ZealandFelt · 27
M 3.8 COOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND
M 3.2 21 km NNE of Whanganui, New Zealand
M 3.0 2 km N of Eltham, New Zealand
M 3.0 37 km NE of Opunake, New Zealand
M 3.0 21 km NNE of Patea, New Zealand
M 3.0 45 km NNE of Manaia, New Zealand
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Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 66 km SSW of Patea, New Zealand earthquake?
Magnitude 4.9 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 102.6 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?
Sep 15, 2026, 10:44 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+12). In universal time: 2026-09-14 22:44 UTC.
Was it felt?
Felt by 11 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?
The closest is Patea, 67.0 km NNE (population 1,286).
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 6.5 (29 km SE of Blenheim, New Zealand, 2013), and 10 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) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.