M5.3 earthquake - 299 km SSW of Bluff, New Zealand

What happened

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 299 km SSW of Bluff, New Zealand on 3 Mar 2026, 11:55 UTC at a depth of 10 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.