Magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Hastings

GeoNet reports the magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck the south-west of Hastings at 6.36am on Tuesday. Photo / GeoNet

Some Hastings residents may have been woken by a small earthquake that struck near the south-west of the township on Tuesday morning.

The magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded at 6.36am at a depth of 34 kilometres about 5km south-west of Hastings.

It was reportedly felt by 53 people according to GeoNet and was described as a "weak" earthquake.

There was also a spate of earthquakes near Porangahau on Saturday, the first of which struck at a depth of 14km at 10.33am, a magnitude 3.1.

This was followed by a magnitude 3.2 at 10.35am which struck at a depth of 12km and a third, a magnitude 2.6 at 10.38am, at a depth of 14km and closer to the town centre.