M6.4 earthquake near Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui

What happened

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 39 km E of Palmerston North, New Zealand on 13 May 1990, 04:23 UTC at a depth of 21 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 Palmerston North, about 39 km away in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand.