A 4.3 magnitude earthquake shook Lake Hāwea early this morning, with locals describing a loud noise followed by a heavy jolt.
Kirsy Spodding described the sensation as being “like a car had backed into our place.
"It started off with a sound like someone turned on their motorcycle, then two seconds later the jolt.
“It was pretty scary.
Residents shared their experiences of the earthquake in a community Facebook group.
Shelley Barrett said, “Heard it first, then a very good jolt.”
Cristian Ivan Rodriguez said, “I really felt it at home in Longview.”
Geonet – New Zealand’s primary monitoring and data provider for geological hazards – reported that the epicentre of the earthquake was 35km northeast of Lake Hāwea, taking place 5km under the earth’s surface.
In addition to the reports from Lake Hāwea, residents in Albert Town and Wānaka reported feeling the effects of the earthquake.
