Quake rattles North Island

Workers in Wellington city offices felt the shaking. File image

A magnitude 5.1 quake has been widely felt across the North Island this morning, with reports of shaking from as far afield as Gisborne and Wellington.

GeoNet said the 167km-deep earthquake struck 25km southwest of Rotorua at 6.47am today.

More than 2400 people, from Auckland to Southland, had reported feeling the quake by 7.30am.

Workers in Wellington city offices felt the shaking. Social media users in Petone and as far away as Gisborne also reported feeling the quake at roughly the same time.

GeoNet said the quake was of weak intensity.

Twitter user Mikaela said: "I think that #eqnz was nature's way of telling me it's time to get up."

Micheale Vermunt said there was "something a little off" about the quake, tweeting: "How the heck did I wake up to an earthquake that was 160 something KM deep?! Only a 5.1 too..."

Jane Thompson tweeted: "My dog got up, looked out window, looked at me, came & sat next to me at my desk, then #eqnz arrived. small 1 here & now she's back asleep".