M5.3 earthquake - 290 km SW of Riverton, New Zealand

What happened

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 290 km SW of Riverton, New Zealand on 18 Jan 2026, 16:45 UTC at a depth of 27 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.