Cluster of quakes shake top of the South Island

A small cluster of earthquakes have shaken the centre of the country this morning.

Geonet described the first quake as moderate, with a magnitude of 4.3.

It struck at 12.08am and was centred 20km south of Seddon at a depth of 10km.

On the GeoNet website 166 people recorded feeling the quake in the northeast of the South Island and Wellington.

The second moderate quake struck at 5.11am and measured magnitude 4.4.

It was centred 15km east of Seddon and 12km deep.

GeoNet received 193 reports of the quake, with 34 regarding it as moderate and six strong.

It was felt mostly around Blenheim and Wellington, but one reported it in Paraparaumu.

A third earthquake at 7.07am was only magnitude 2.1, and centred 5km southeast of Seddon, 15km deep.