Light magnitude 3.9 earthquake at 72 km depth3 May 20:54 UTC: First to report: GEONET (NZ) after 54 seconds.3 May 20:55: Magnitude recalculated from 3.4 to 3.9. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 79.10 to 98.30 km (from 49 to 61 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 2.8 km (1.8 mi) towards S.3 May 20:57: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 98.30 to 72.00 km (from 61 to 45 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 2.8 km (1.8 mi) towards WNW.I didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeMay 3, 2026 20:53:08 UTC - Local time at epicenterMonday, May 4, 2026, at 08:53 am (GMT +12)StatusconfirmedMagnitude3.9Depth72 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude40.8244°S / 173.9855°ENew ZealandSeismic antipode40.8244°N / 6.014°WSpainQuality130 seismic stations (EMSC)Shaking intensityII Very weak shakingFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourceGEONET (NZ) (Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey, New Zealand)Nearest volcanoTaranaki (170 km / 106 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeFew Clouds 13.8°C (57 F), humidity: 78%, wind: 3 m/s (6 kts) from NNWEstimated seismic energy released4.5 x 1010 joules (12.4 megawatt hours, equivalent to 10.7 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 3.9 | about seismic energy9 minutes agoMay 3, 2026 20:53 GMT / May 4, 2026 08:53 am (GMT +12)Lat / Lng: -40.82435 / 173.98553: New ZealandSource: GEONET (NZ)Other sources: EMSC: 3.9 / 98 kmDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-22968377',-40.82435,173.98553,'9 minutes ago: Mag. 3.9, New Zealand',html,'quakes-5-24.png',18,18,9,9,124]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in New ZealandNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Waikawa, a town with 1,700 inhabitants in New Zealand, in 50 km (31 mi) distance south of the epicenter. People likely experienced very weak shaking there. In the capital of New Zealand, Wellington, 84 km (52 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as very weak shaking.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry50 km (31 mi)S of epicenterWaikawa(pop: 1,720)II: Very weakMarlborough District, MarlboroughNew Zealand54 km (34 mi)S of epicenterHavelock(pop: 588)II: Very weakMarlborough District, MarlboroughNew Zealand68 km (42 mi)S of epicenterTuamarina(pop: 237)II: Very weakMarlborough District, MarlboroughNew Zealand72 km (45 mi)SW of epicenterAtawhai(pop: 2,920)II: Very weakNelson, NelsonNew Zealand76 km (47 mi)S of epicenterRenwick(pop: 2,550)II: Very weakMarlborough District, MarlboroughNew Zealand80 km (50 mi)E of epicenterPukerua Bay(pop: 2,070)II: Very weakPorirua, WellingtonNew Zealand80 km (50 mi)SE of epicenterPorirua(pop: 61,800)II: Very weakWellingtonNew Zealand81 km (51 mi)SE of epicenterKarori(pop: 15,400)II: Very weakWellington, WellingtonNew Zealand82 km (51 mi)SE of epicenterJohnsonville(pop: 12,100)II: Very weakWellington, WellingtonNew Zealand84 km (52 mi)SW of epicenterStoke(pop: 19,900)II: Very weakNelson, NelsonNew Zealand84 km (52 mi)SE of epicenterWellington(pop: 381,900)II: Very weakWellingtonNew Zealand85 km (53 mi)W of epicenterMarahau(pop: 231)II: Very weakNelsonNew Zealand86 km (53 mi)SE of epicenterNewtown(pop: 10,100)II: Very weakWellington, WellingtonNew Zealand87 km (54 mi)E of epicenterParaparaumu(pop: 29,900)II: Very weakKapiti Coast District, WellingtonNew Zealand88 km (55 mi)SW of epicenterRichmond(pop: 19,700)II: Very weakTasman, TasmanNew Zealand88 km (55 mi)SW of epicenterMapua(pop: 1,820)II: Very weakTasman, TasmanNew Zealand88 km (55 mi)SW of epicenterMotueka(pop: 7,490)II: Very weakTasman, TasmanNew Zealand90 km (56 mi)SE of epicenterLower Hutt(pop: 113,400)II: Very weakWellingtonNew Zealand91 km (56 mi)SW of epicenterWairau Valley(pop: 2,230)II: Very weakMarlborough District, MarlboroughNew Zealand91 km (57 mi)E of epicenterWaikanae(pop: 13,300)II: Very weakKapiti Coast District, WellingtonNew Zealand94 km (58 mi)S of epicenterSeddon(pop: 552)II: Very weakMarlborough District, MarlboroughNew Zealand95 km (59 mi)SE of epicenterWainuiomata(pop: 20,300)II: Very weakLower Hutt, WellingtonNew Zealand96 km (60 mi)E of epicenterUpper Hutt(pop: 47,500)II: Very weakWellingtonNew Zealand98 km (61 mi)E of epicenterOtaki(pop: 6,090)II: Very weakKapiti Coast District, WellingtonNew Zealand100 km (62 mi)W of epicenterTakaka(pop: 1,430)II: Very weakTasman, TasmanNew Zealand101 km (63 mi)SW of epicenterWakefield(pop: 2,680)II: Very weakTasman, TasmanNew Zealand111 km (69 mi)E of epicenterLevin(pop: 19,800)II: Very weakHorowhenua District, Manawatu-WanganuiNew Zealand116 km (72 mi)E of epicenterFeatherston(pop: 2,760)II: Very weakSouth Wairarapa District, WellingtonNew Zealand116 km (72 mi)E of epicenterFoxton(pop: 4,780)II: Very weakHorowhenua District, Manawatu-WanganuiNew Zealand125 km (78 mi)E of epicenterShannon(pop: 1,610)II: Very weakHorowhenua District, Manawatu-WanganuiNew Zealand126 km (78 mi)N of epicenterPatea(pop: 1,290)II: Very weakSouth Taranaki District, TaranakiNew Zealand129 km (80 mi)E of epicenterMartinborough(pop: 2,050)II: Very weakSouth Wairarapa District, WellingtonNew Zealand132 km (82 mi)E of epicenterCarterton(pop: 10,300)II: Very weakWellingtonNew Zealand134 km (83 mi)NE of epicenterWhanganui(pop: 48,900)II: Very weakManawatu-WanganuiNew Zealand139 km (86 mi)NE of epicenterBulls(pop: 2,150)II: Very weakRangitikei District, Manawatu-WanganuiNew Zealand139 km (87 mi)N of epicenterHawera(pop: 10,400)II: Very weakSouth Taranaki District, TaranakiNew Zealand144 km (89 mi)SE of epicenterWaipawa(pop: 1,900)I: Not feltSouth Wairarapa District, WellingtonNew Zealand145 km (90 mi)NE of epicenterMarton(pop: 5,740)I: Not feltRangitikei District, Manawatu-WanganuiNew Zealand147 km (91 mi)E of epicenterPalmerston North(pop: 91,300)I: Not feltManawatu-WanganuiNew Zealand174 km (108 mi)NE of epicenterAotea(pop: 4,170)I: Not feltPorirua, WellingtonNew ZealandNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Get the Android appCompare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-05-3EpicenterAgency3.972 km45 mi20:53:08New ZealandGEONET (NZ) (Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey, New Zealand)3.998 km61 mi20:53:06.768±0.45sCOOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND2.8 km (1.8 mi) epicenter difference with GEONET (NZ)EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Earthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 26 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 2,000 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 6 or higher: 0.07 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 14.1 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 1.51 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 16.5 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 130 quakes per year (or 10.8 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 1,100 quakes per year (or 3.1 quakes per day)Mag. 1 or higher: 2,000 quakes per year (or 5.5 quakes per day)The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 4 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1970, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquakeThe earthquake occurred 1 day 6 hours after a magnitude 4.3 earthquake had hit on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 03:15 am local time (Pacific/Auckland GMT +12) in 83 km (52 mi) distance to the southeast:Mag. 4.3 earthquake 13 km northeast of Wellington - Wellington, New Zealand - The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 7.7. It had occurred 9 years ago earlier, on Sunday, Nov 13, 2016, at 11:02 pm local time (Pacific/Auckland GMT +12) in Canterbury, New Zealand:Mag. 7.7 earthquake 8 km southeast of Hanmer Springs - Canterbury, New Zealand - Nov 13, 2016 - Below is a list and map of larger or recent quakes that had occurred near the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter and sort the list by magnitude or time.Max results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageDate and TimeMagDepthDistanceLocationDetailsMapMay 3, 01:01 pm (GMT +12)3.0153 km69 km (43 mi) to the NTasman Sea, 148 km northwest of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand I FELT ITInfoMay 3, 03:15 am (Auckland)4.342 km83 km (52 mi) to the SE 13 km northeast of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand I FELT IT - 4 reportsInfoMay 1, 10:57 am (GMT +12)4.2168 km59 km (36 mi) to the WTasman Sea, 63 km north of Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand I FELT ITInfoApr 30, 06:15 am (GMT +12)3.126 km54 km (34 mi) to the SETasman Sea, 30 km northwest of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand I FELT ITInfoApr 27, 10:55 pm (Auckland)3.958 km42 km (26 mi) to the SWMarlborough, 35 km northeast of Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand I FELT IT - 6 reportsInfoApr 14, 03:26 am (GMT +12)4.269 km56 km (34 mi) to the NETasman Sea, 87 km north of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand 2 reportsInfoMar 24, 01:36 pm (GMT +13)4.06.6 km90 km (56 mi) to the STasman Sea, 54 km southwest of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandInfoOct 6, 2024 04:08 am (Auckland)5.730 km61 km (38 mi) to the SETasman Sea, 30 km west of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand 128 reportsInfoAug 11, 2023 11:53 am (GMT +12)5.6170 km74 km (46 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 119 km north of Haulashore Island, New Zealand 56 reportsInfoFeb 15, 2023 06:38 pm (GMT +12)6.350 km57 km (36 mi) to the NETasman Sea, 81 km north of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand 415 reportsInfoOct 14, 2022 02:03 am (GMT +12)5.7146 km68 km (42 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 99 km north of Nelson, Nelson, New Zealand 237 reportsInfoSep 22, 2022 09:07 pm (Auckland)5.851 km19 km (12 mi) to the ETasman Sea, 72 km northwest of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand 396 reportsInfoNov 7, 2021 03:16 pm (GMT +12)5.5190 km74 km (46 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 157 km northwest of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand 52 reportsInfoOct 12, 2021 01:55 pm (GMT +12)5.3150 km76 km (47 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, New Zealand 113 reportsInfoMay 25, 2020 07:53 am (Auckland)5.837 km94 km (58 mi) to the NETasman Sea, 26 km west of Foxton, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand 65 reportsInfoDec 29, 2016 02:34 am (Universal Time)5.210 km75 km (46 mi) to the Snear Magnitude 5.3, Near of Lower Hutt 9 reportsInfoDec 4, 2016 03:15 am (Universal Time)5.210 km79 km (49 mi) to the STasman Sea, 76 km east of Haulashore Island, New Zealand 4 reportsInfoNov 13, 2016 11:41 am (Universal Time)5.710 km86 km (53 mi) to the S 12 km southeast of Blenheim, Marlborough, New ZealandInfoNov 13, 2016 11:02 pm (Auckland)7.710 km214 km (133 mi) to the SW 8 km southeast of Hanmer Springs, Canterbury, New Zealand 71 reportsInfoAug 16, 2013 05:31 pm (Auckland)5.914 km97 km (60 mi) to the S 15 km east of Seddon, Marlborough, New Zealand 2 reportsInfoJul 21, 2013 05:13 am (Universal Time)5.310 km86 km (53 mi) to the STasman Sea, 96 km east of Haulashore Island, New Zealand 1 reportInfoJul 21, 2013 05:09 pm (Auckland)6.517 km92 km (57 mi) to the STasman Sea, 52 km southwest of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandInfoJul 21, 2013 07:17 am (Auckland)5.914 km96 km (60 mi) to the STasman Sea, 38 km east of Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand 7 reportsInfoJul 19, 2013 09:06 am (Auckland)5.518 km88 km (55 mi) to the SETasman Sea, 42 km southwest of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand 2 reportsInfoJul 3, 2012 10:36 pm (GMT +12)6.3230 km91 km (57 mi) to the N 63 km S of Opunake, New ZealandInfoJul 15, 2009 09:38 pm (GMT +12)5.4163 km79 km (49 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 125 km north of Haulashore Island, New ZealandInfoMar 14, 2005 03:08 am (GMT +12)5.4141 km80 km (49 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 124 km north of Haulashore Island, New ZealandInfoMar 23, 1995 07:43 am (Auckland)5.887 km24 km (15 mi) to the STasman Sea, 69 km northwest of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandInfoOct 16, 1994 04:08 pm (GMT +0)5.3183 km68 km (42 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 109 km north of Haulashore Island, New ZealandInfoMay 28, 1992 10:30 am (Auckland)6.085 km91 km (56 mi) to the S 22 km southwest of Blenheim, Marlborough, New ZealandInfoJun 9, 1991 11:01 pm (GMT +12)5.4109 km88 km (54 mi) to the NETasman Sea, 59 km west of Whanganui, Manawatu-Wanganui, New ZealandInfoAug 8, 1989 07:59 pm (GMT +12)5.6122 km83 km (52 mi) to the NTasman Sea, 65 km west of Whanganui, Manawatu-Wanganui, New ZealandInfoJul 15, 1986 05:03 am (GMT +12)5.580 km42 km (26 mi) to the NETasman Sea, 99 km northwest of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandInfoOct 2, 1977 03:39 pm (GMT +12)5.4180 km79 km (49 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 121 km north of Haulashore Island, New ZealandInfoJun 13, 1973 09:36 pm (Auckland)5.567 km32 km (20 mi) to the NTasman Sea, 96 km northeast of Nelson, Nelson, New ZealandInfoMar 26, 1973 10:04 am (Auckland)5.774 km74 km (46 mi) to the SETasman Sea, 26 km west of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandInfoMar 14, 1972 07:26 pm (Auckland)5.854 km15 km (9.5 mi) to the NETasman Sea, 86 km northwest of Wellington, Wellington, New ZealandInfoMay 24, 1968 05:24 am (Auckland)7.020 km189 km (117 mi) to the SWWest Coast, 30 km northwest of Murchison, Tasman, New ZealandInfoFeb 9, 1964 08:33 pm (GMT +12)5.3213 km69 km (43 mi) to the NWTasman Sea, 91 km north of Nelson, Nelson, New ZealandInfoJun 24, 1942 11:16 am (Universal Time)7.015 km159 km (99 mi) to the E 26 km southeast of Masterton, Wellington, New ZealandInfoMar 5, 1934 11:46 am (Universal Time)7.215 km168 km (104 mi) to the ETasman Sea, 40 km southeast of Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui, New ZealandInfoFeb 13, 1931 01:27 am (Universal Time)7.345 km240 km (149 mi) to the NEManawatu-Wanganui, 66 km west of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, New ZealandInfoFeb 2, 1931 10:46 pm (Universal Time)7.435 km232 km (144 mi) to the NE 47 km west of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, New ZealandInfoJun 16, 1929 10:47 pm (Universal Time)7.320 km146 km (91 mi) to the SWTasman, 81 km south of Nelson, Nelson, New ZealandInfoMar 9, 1929 10:50 am (Universal Time)7.020 km272 km (169 mi) to the SW 63 km north of Christchurch, Canterbury, New ZealandInfoNov 22, 1914 08:14 am (Universal Time)7.0100 km266 km (165 mi) to the NE 36 km south of Taupo, Waikato, New ZealandInfoAug 9, 1904 10:51 am (GMT +12)7.50 km257 km (160 mi) to the ESouth Pacific Ocean, 97 km south of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, New ZealandInfoMap of earlier quakes in the area of this quakeMax results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageOldest quakes are shown in yellow, most recent in red.[quakes -][quakes +][smaller][bigger]