Magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Rotorua rattles North Islanders awake

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake has shaken some in the North Island early this morning, with thousands of people reporting feeling the tremor.

The quake struck at 2.19am, 10 km west of Rotorua at a depth of 168km, according to Geonet.

Although it produced only weak shaking, people from Nelson to Tauranga reported feeling the quake, with most felt reports stretching from Wellington through to Hastings.

The majority of people said the shaking was light or weak.

An early wake up for some this morning with a M5.1 earthquake with weak shaking occurring 168 kilometres below the Waikato region at 2:19am. It was felt predominantly in the lower North Island and we have received over 2200 felt reports: https://t.co/3QldQfJv4m pic.twitter.com/PNAwtN2O43

— GeoNet (@geonet) June 5, 2024

Geonet said there had been more than 2200 felt reports.