M5.6 earthquake - south of the Kermadec Islands

What happened

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck south of the Kermadec Islands on 20 Dec 2022, 16:38 UTC at a depth of 39 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.