An earthquake of magnitude 2.5 occurred around noon on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, at 12:49 pm local time near Niort, Deux-Sèvres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, as reported by France's Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS).According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a very shallow depth of 5. km. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. Magnitude and other quake parameters can still change in the coming hours as the agency continues to process seismic data.A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 2.6 earthquake.Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Brulain (pop. 560) located 2 km from the epicenter, Prahecq (pop. 1,700) 6 km away, Fors (pop. 1,400) 6 km away, Aiffres (pop. 4,800) 11 km away, and Celles-sur-Belle (pop. 3,600) 12 km away. In Melle (pop. 4,300, 15 km away), Niort (pop. 54,700, 16 km away), and Fontenay-le-Comte (pop. 16,300, 46 km away), the quake was probably not felt.Earthquake data: Date & time: Mar 24, 2026 12:49 pm (GMT +1) local time (24 Mar 2026 11:49 GMT)Magnitude: 2.5Depth: 5.00 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude: 46.21°N / 0.34°W (Deux-Sèvres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)Primary data source: RENASS