M5.1 earthquake - 216 km NE of Opotiki, New Zealand

What happened

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 216 km NE of Opotiki, New Zealand on 18 Mar 2020, 16:56 UTC at a depth of 47 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.

The nearest town in our records is Whakatane, about 232 km away in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.