M5.4 earthquake - south of the Kermadec Islands

What happened

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck south of the Kermadec Islands on 17 Feb 2020, 00:28 UTC at a depth of 178 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.