'Going to explode': 3.1 magnitude quake stuns Canberra locals

The location of the Canberra earthquake. Photo / Geoscience Australia

Here in Aotearoa we are accustomed to the odd quake shaking us awake or rattling the kitchen cabinets.

But our friends across the Tasman appear not to be as laidback when a minor quake strikes.

A 3.1 magnitude earthquake in Canberra in the ACT today had at least one local saying it felt like her house was "going to explode".

According to Geoscience Australia, the earthquake occurred at approximately 10.05am AEDT near the northern suburb of Forde.

The Australian Government agency has said it has already received almost 200 reports from residents who felt it in the region.

The earthquake had a depth of 10km, news.com.au reports.

Residents have reported feeling a bang, shaking and a loud noise in some cases.

The quake comes after Canberra has experienced a recording-breaking heatwave and is slated for their fourth day in a row of days above 45C and 40C respectively — neither of which has happened since records began in the region.

Did you feel the Earth move this morning in the northern suburbs of Canberra? At approximately 10:05 am AEDT there was a magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Forde. We have already received almost 200 felt reports. You can complete a felt report online at https://t.co/ggGwAKzGGt #eqaus pic.twitter.com/12F8V8hbyp

— Geoscience Australia (@GeoscienceAus) January 17, 2019

The ACT Emergency Services Agency says it is has had no callouts in relation to the shake.

3.1 earthquake in North side Canberra pic.twitter.com/fVT8kxv9VN

— Andrew Nathan (@AndrewNathan05) January 17, 2019

Resident Kerry Sleeman Boudoir posted on Facebook: "I felt it OK, I basically nearly jumped out of my seat, felt like the house in Forde (Mulligans Flat) was going to explode!"

Even though no one in my Deakin office felt the #Canberra #earthquake we all feel that it is grounds to go home early, just to be on the safe side.

— Samara McCann (@Samara_McCann) January 17, 2019

Not all Aussies took the tremor so seriously, with some making light of the mini earthquake on social media, tweeting they were planinng to go home from work, while others tweeted a meme featuring chairs fallen over with the words "we will rebuild".

Others saw it as a chance to make some cheeky political jokes.

3.1 earthquake in Canberra. Did Clive Palmer fall over?

— 🅰️©️ (@AcCapitalTrades) January 17, 2019