Kaikoura earthquake: More than 4000 tremors in seven days

More than 4000 tremors have rocked central New Zealand since last week's destructive 7.8 Kaikoura quake.

In the past seven days 4060 aftershocks have been recorded across the eastern tip of the South Island and Wellington region.

6 am update: 16 eqs in last hour, 206 eqs in last 12 hrs (only 5 over M4) and 4060 eqs since the M7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake. #eqnz #Kaikoura pic.twitter.com/NwjpzELg41

— GeoNet (@geonet) November 20, 2016

The quake, which struck at 12.02am on November 14, was the largest recorded tremor since 2009.

Residents are being warned aftershocks connected to the Kaikoura earthquake will continue for months to years.

Scientists are now forecasting an 80 percent or more probability of damaging shaking within the aftershock region, including Wellington, in the next 30 days.

GNS said the most likely scenario was aftershocks would continue to decrease in frequency over the next 30 days.

However, aftershocks greater than magnitude 5 would occur from the quake's epicentre near Culverden, right up along the Kaikoura coastline to throughout Wellington.

This included the potential for aftershocks of between 6.0 and 6.9.

Multiple faults were ruptured in last Monday's quake with the earth moving up to 10m along some fault lines.

Two people died as a result of the quake.