'Strong' 5.1 earthquake shakes Bay of Plenty

The 5.1 magnitude quake struck 10 kilometres south-west of Te Kaha, at a depth of 28 kilometres, about 5.30am.

A strong quake has struck the eastern Bay of Plenty.

The 5.1 magnitude quake struck 10 kilometres south-west of Te Kaha, at a depth of 28 kilometres, about 5.30am.

By 6am, almost 1000 people reported on GeoNet's website that they had felt it.

Pretty decent shake to wake up to just then! #eqnz #Earthquake

— Mitch Kinney (@MitchKinney) June 15, 2020

The majority of those who felt it said it was a "light" shake, while almost 300 people described it as moderate.

Dozens of people - up to 32 - however, said it was a strong shake, while one called it "extreme".

A second quake near the area - this time about 15km south-west of Te Kaha - struck just before 6am.

It registered as a 3.2 magnitude quake at a depth of 26km.