The lower South Island, including Dunedin, was shaken by a strong earthquake this evening.
Geonet reports the quake as magnitude 6.4 and says it occurred 190km southwest of Snares Island, below Stewart Island, at a depth of 34km.
The quake confused GeoNet's instruments, the geological serivce initially reporting a 5.9 magnitude earthquake had struck near Invercargill and another near Blenheim with a magnitude of 5.0.
There is no tsunami threat from the quake, Civil Defence says.
The quake was felt widely across the South, including in Invercargill, Tapanui, Wanaka, Outram, Mosgiel and Dunedin.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said he had contacted firefighters in Invercargill after the earthquake and there were no reports of damage.
"But it was definitely felt by our Invercargill crew. We are still standing by but with any luck it was far enough offshore to do any damage."
A police spokeswoman said police had no reports of any earthquake-related damage in the South.
Residents from the South Island have shared their experiences on social media. Many reported swaying or shaking that lasted for more than 30 seconds and set light bulbs swinging.
- additional reporting NZME
