M6.6 earthquake - 115 km WNW of Te Anau, New Zealand

What happened

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck 115 km WNW of Te Anau, New Zealand on 16 Dec 1938, 23:14 UTC at a depth of 15 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Invercargill, about 225 km away in Southland, New Zealand.