Earthquake rocks Hawke's Bay

An earthquake has struck the lower North Island.

Hawke's Bay was rattled by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake just after 9pm last night.

The quake was the third and strongest the Bay was hit with yesterday.

At about 3.15pm a magnitude 3.8 struck, 15 km east of Pongaroa at a depth of 19km.

The next one was more moderate and came just after 7pm in the same location.

It measured 3.0 and was 22km deep.

The third - and most widely felt - quake had a depth of 24km. Its epicentre was 20km east of Pongaroa, in Tararua District.

The duty manager at New World Hastings last night, Sandra (who did not want her last name used), said there was no damage and no stock tumbled off the shelves.

"I just thought I was having a wee moment - half the customers didn't even realise what was happening."

It was felt further south, with a couple of things falling off the shelves at Dannevirke New World.

Dannevirke News reporter Christine McKay said it was a long shake that hit with "quite a thump" and kept on going.

However, it appeared there was no damage around the town.

The quake was a timely reminder of this week's national "ShakeOut" drill.

Thursday is International ShakeOut Day of Action. New Zealand will be the first country to participate this year, at 9.15am.

The aim is to get 1.5 million New Zealanders taking part, which should make it the biggest ShakeOut drill in the world, per capita.

The drill will reinforce the right action to take before, during and after an earthquake.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management last night confirmed there was no tsunami threat.

What to do if an earthquake hits

* Expect aftershocks.
* Look after yourself and get first aid if necessary. Help others.
* Assess your home or workplace for damage. If the building appears unsafe, get everyone out. Use the stairs, not a lift and when outside, watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines. Stay out of damaged areas.
* Look for and extinguish small fires if it is safe to do so. Fire is a significant hazard following earthquakes.
* Listen to the radio for updated emergency information and instructions.
* Do not overload phone lines with non-emergency calls.
* Help people who require special assistance - infants, elderly people, those without transportation, families who may need additional help, people with disabilities and the people who care for them.