Strong magnitude 5.3 earthquake at 152 km depth1 Aug 03:25 UTC: First to report: GEONET (NZ) after 1 minute.1 Aug 03:26: Magnitude recalculated from 4.4 to 5.1. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 96.00 to 123.50 km (from 60 to 77 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 9.4 km (5.8 mi) towards NNW.... [show all] ...1 Aug 03:27: Magnitude recalculated from 5.1 to 5.2. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 123.50 to 108.90 km (from 77 to 68 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 9.2 km (5.7 mi) towards ESE.1 Aug 03:28: Magnitude recalculated from 5.2 to 5.4. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 108.90 to 102.50 km (from 68 to 64 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 6.5 km (4.1 mi) towards S.1 Aug 03:31: Now using data updates from EMSC1 Aug 03:31: Magnitude recalculated from 5.5 to 5.4.1 Aug 03:34: Magnitude recalculated from 5.4 to 5.3.Update Sat, 1 Aug 2026, 03:30Moderate yet deep 5.4 quake hits near Te Anau, Southland District, Southland, New ZealandAn intermediate magnitude 5.4 earthquake was reported early afternoon near Te Anau, Southland District, Southland, New Zealand.According to New Zealand's Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey (GeoNet), the quake hit on Saturday, August 1st, 2026, at 3:23 pm local time at an intermediate depth of 102.50 km. The strength of the earthquake may have been tempered by its relative great depth below the surface, which makes it feel weaker in absolute terms. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.Weak shaking might have been felt in Te Anau (pop. 2,900) located 38 km from the epicenter, Queenstown (pop. 10,400) 95 km away, Arthurs Point (pop. 1,300) 96 km away, Frankton (pop. 3,800) 100 km away, and Jack's Point (pop. 4,300) 101 km away.VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.If you were or still are in this area during the quake help others with your feedback and report it here.Download the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app and get one of the fastest seismic alerts online: Android | iOSI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeAug 1, 2026 03:23:50 UTC - Local time at epicenterSaturday, Aug 1, 2026, at 03:23 pm (Pacific/Auckland GMT +12)StatusconfirmedMagnitude5.30Depth152 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude45.2029°S / 167.2814°ESouthland District, Southland, New ZealandSeismic antipode45.2029°N / 12.719°WShaking intensityIII Weak shaking near epicenterFelt4 reportsPrimary data sourceEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeBroken Clouds 5.4°C (42 F), humidity: 100%, wind: 0 m/s (0 kts) from WEstimated seismic energy released5.6 x 1012 joules (1.56 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 1344 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 5.3 | about seismic energy11 minutes ago reported feltAug 1, 2026 03:23 GMT / Aug 1, 2026 03:23 pm (Auckland time)Lat / Lng: -45.2029 / 167.2814: South Island OF New ZealandSource: EMSCOther sources: GEONET (NZ): 5.2 / 103 kmDetail info | Read user reports | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23234135',-45.20290,167.28140,'11 minutes ago: Mag. 5.3, South Island OF New Zealand',html,'quakes-7-24.png',30,30,15,15,126]); 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 Te Anau, a town with 2,900 inhabitants in New Zealand, in 42 km (26 mi) distance southeast of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. In the capital of New Zealand, Wellington, 747 km (464 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake could not be felt.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry42 km (26 mi)SE of epicenterTe Anau(pop: 2,910)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand48 km (30 mi)SE of epicenterManapouri(pop: 228)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand78 km (48 mi)NE of epicenterMilford Sound(pop: 435)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand92 km (57 mi)SE of epicenterMossburn(pop: 210)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand95 km (59 mi)SE of epicenterOhai(pop: 408)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand95 km (59 mi)NE of epicenterGlenorchy(pop: 318)III: WeakQueenstown-Lakes District, OtagoNew Zealand108 km (67 mi)S of epicenterTuatapere(pop: 558)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand109 km (67 mi)SE of epicenterLumsden(pop: 463)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand110 km (68 mi)E of epicenterQueenstown(pop: 10,400)III: WeakOtagoNew Zealand113 km (70 mi)E of epicenterKingston(pop: 306)III: WeakQueenstown-Lakes District, OtagoNew Zealand119 km (74 mi)SE of epicenterOtautau(pop: 672)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand124 km (77 mi)E of epicenterArrowtown(pop: 2,150)III: WeakQueenstown-Lakes District, OtagoNew Zealand133 km (83 mi)SE of epicenterWinton(pop: 2,190)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand140 km (87 mi)E of epicenterCardrona(pop: 800)III: WeakQueenstown-Lakes District, OtagoNew Zealand140 km (87 mi)SE of epicenterRiverton(pop: 1,680)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand152 km (94 mi)E of epicenterCromwell(pop: 5,160)III: WeakCentral Otago District, OtagoNew Zealand157 km (97 mi)SE of epicenterInvercargill(pop: 57,600)III: WeakSouthlandNew Zealand157 km (98 mi)E of epicenterWanaka(pop: 13,100)III: WeakQueenstown-Lakes District, OtagoNew Zealand163 km (101 mi)SE of epicenterMataura(pop: 1,680)III: WeakGore District, SouthlandNew Zealand163 km (101 mi)E of epicenterRoxburgh(pop: 600)III: WeakCentral Otago District, OtagoNew Zealand163 km (102 mi)SE of epicenterGore(pop: 13,100)III: WeakSouthlandNew Zealand164 km (102 mi)E of epicenterAlexandra(pop: 5,830)III: WeakCentral Otago District, OtagoNew Zealand169 km (105 mi)E of epicenterLake Hawea(pop: 2,190)III: WeakQueenstown-Lakes District, OtagoNew Zealand170 km (106 mi)SE of epicenterEdendale(pop: 588)III: WeakSouthland District, SouthlandNew Zealand175 km (109 mi)SE of epicenterBluff(pop: 1,940)III: WeakInvercargill, SouthlandNew Zealand223 km (139 mi)SE of epicenterBalclutha(pop: 4,440)III: WeakClutha District, OtagoNew Zealand227 km (141 mi)SE of epicenterPapatowai(pop: 6,590)III: WeakClutha District, OtagoNew Zealand233 km (144 mi)SE of epicenterMilton(pop: 2,010)III: WeakClutha District, OtagoNew Zealand246 km (153 mi)NE of epicenterTwizel(pop: 1,780)III: WeakMackenzie District, CanterburyNew Zealand250 km (155 mi)E of epicenterMosgiel(pop: 14,800)III: WeakDunedin City, OtagoNew Zealand262 km (163 mi)E of epicenterDunedin(pop: 131,800)II: Very weakOtagoNew Zealand267 km (166 mi)E of epicenterWaikouaiti(pop: 1,330)II: Very weakDunedin City, OtagoNew Zealand269 km (167 mi)E of epicenterPort Chalmers(pop: 1,460)II: Very weakDunedin City, OtagoNew Zealand271 km (168 mi)E of epicenterPalmerston(pop: 1,050)II: Very weakOtagoNew Zealand284 km (177 mi)NE of epicenterWaikowhai(pop: 5,550)II: Very weakWestland District, West CoastNew Zealand290 km (180 mi)E of epicenterOamaru(pop: 13,000)II: Very weakOtagoNew Zealand301 km (187 mi)E of epicenterWaimate(pop: 3,650)II: Very weakCanterburyNew Zealand404 km (251 mi)NE of epicenterHokitika(pop: 3,350)II: Very weakWestland District, West CoastNew Zealand747 km (464 mi)NE of epicenterWellington(pop: 381,900)I: Not feltWellingtonNew ZealandNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quake (4)So far, we have received 4 reports for this quake from New Zealand. The quake was reported to have been felt in up to approx. 150–170 km (93–106 mi) distance.Most reports came from Waikiwi (1 report), a town with 2,500 inhabitants in Southland in 155 km (96 mi) distance southeast of the epicenter, New Zealand, Frankton (1 report), a town with 3,800 inhabitants in Otago in 116 km (72 mi) distance east of the epicenter, and Alexandra (1 report) (164 km or 102 mi to the east). Further below is a list of places where most people reported this quake.This section is being updated as new data comes in.User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.Contribute:Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.Flag as inappropriate.Mark as helpful or interesting.Send your own user report!TranslateAlexandra, Central Otago District, Otago (165.4 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s (reported through our iOS app)Queenstown (120.5 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 sWaikiwi, Invercargill City, Southland (155.1 km SSE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)Queenstown New Zealand (131.5 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Shake of house List of cities/places with most reportsPlaceDistance from epicenterAverage reported Shaking IntensityNr. of reportsWaikiwi, Southland, New Zealand(Pop.: 2,510)155 km (96 mi)SE of epicenterIV: Light shaking1Frankton, Otago, New Zealand(Pop.: 3,780)116 km (72 mi)E of epicenterII: Very weak shaking1Alexandra, Otago, New Zealand(Pop.: 5,830)164 km (102 mi)E of epicenterIII: Weak shaking1Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (4 in total) could be used for statistics.What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,...IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.Read more about the MMI scale!Number of reports by intensityShaking intensityNumber of reportsMin-Max distance from epicenter (*)Average distance (*)II: Very weak shaking1120–120 km (75–75 mi)120 km (75 mi)III: Weak shaking2131–165 km (82–103 mi)148 km (92 mi)IV: Light shaking1155–155 km (96–96 mi)155 km (96 mi)Notes(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (4 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.Get the Android appI didn't feel itI felt this quakeIf you were near the epicenter and felt it, please share your experience and submit a short "I felt it" report! Other users would love to hear about it!If you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it as well! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science and seismic hazard analysis.Compare 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 GMT2026-08-1EpicenterAgency5.3152 km95 mi03:23:50.32SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALANDEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)5.2103 km64 mi03:23:56New Zealand17 km (10.4 mi) epicenter difference with EMSCGEONET (NZ) (Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey, New Zealand)Earthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 26 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 472 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 7 or higher: 0.03 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 31.3 years)Mag. 6 or higher: 0.13 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 7.9 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 2.9 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 17.3 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 115 quakes per year (or 9.6 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 421 quakes per year (or 35.1 quakes per month)Mag. 1 or higher: 472 quakes per year (or 39.3 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 4 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 30 to 35 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquake