4.4 magnitude earthquake strikes north of Hawke's Bay

An earthquake has struck north of Hawke's Bay this morning.

The 4.4 magnitude shake hit 25km north of Wairoa at 8.24am.

GeoNet says it was about 35km deep and may have been felt in a number of places around the region.

Those places included in Gisborne, Hastings, Mātāwai , Murupara, Napier, Ōpōtiki, Rotorua, Ruatōria, Taupō, Te Kaha, Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay, Wairoa, Whakatāne and surrounding areas.

M4.6 quake causing moderate shaking near Wairoa https://t.co/eoFf9nzF71

— GeoNet (@geonet) December 6, 2020

On the GeoNet website, more than 500 people said they had felt it strike.

Of those who reported feeling it, the majority said it was either "weak" or "light".

Ugh. Hate these. You never know what they're going to do. Moderate earthquake occurred 25 km north of Wairoa: [https://t.co/baBt648jhj]

— WaitingPatiently 🇳🇿 (@DefndrOfLarder) December 6, 2020

A total of 32 people had reported it to be a "moderate" shake by 9am, while one person said it was "extreme".