Seismic Activity in New Zealand
Over the past 30 days, there have been 5 recorded earthquakes in this region. The largest recent earthquake was a magnitude 5.0 event near 141 km ENE of Hicks Bay, New Zealand.
Earthquakes in New Zealand
1 earthquakes in the last 24 hours• Latest significant: M5.0
Earthquake Map
Recent Earthquakes (Last 30 Days)
Dataset at a glance — New Zealand
Over the past 30 days, New Zealand has recorded 5 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in our tracker. 2 reached magnitude 5.0 or higher. 3 landed between M4.0 and M4.9. By depth: 3 shallow (<70 km), 2 intermediate (70–300 km). 2 of the epicenters were offshore. 3 events produced at least one felt report, totalling 15 citizen submissions to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Focal depths ranged from 10.0 km to 121.4 km. All 5 solutions have been reviewed by a USGS seismologist.
Each row in the table below includes a narrative summary of the event, ordered by time. Use the column headers to sort or filter by magnitude.
Showing 5 of 5
| Time ↓ | Mag ↕ | Location ↕ | Depth ↕ | Felt ↕ | MMI | Alert | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 hours ago 2026-07-16 08:57:58 UTC | 5.0mb | 141 km ENE of Hicks Bay, New Zealand -37.328°, 179.861° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On July 16, 2026 at 08:57 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 141 km ENE of Hicks Bay, New Zealand. It is the largest earthquake currently listed for New Zealand over the past 30 days. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
3 days ago 2026-07-12 16:31:08 UTC | 4.6mb | 58 km E of Hanmer Springs, New Zealand -42.578°, 173.518° | 29.4 km | 1 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On July 12, 2026, New Zealand registered a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 58 km E of Hanmer Springs, New Zealand at 16:31 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.6 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-07 2026-07-07 20:33:15 UTC | 4.9mww | 88 km WNW of Hicks Bay, New Zealand -37.217°, 177.429° | 121.4 km | 4 | III | green | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 4.9 earthquake 88 km WNW of Hicks Bay, New Zealand with origin time 20:33 UTC on July 7, 2026. The USGS PAGER system assigned a green alert level for this event, signalling no significant casualties or damage expected. This is the deepest earthquake in the current dataset — an intermediate depth event. See the M4.9 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-06-28 2026-06-28 11:04:12 UTC | 5.0mb | 65 km W of Foxton Beach, New Zealand -40.394°, 174.464° | 81.2 km | 10 | III | green | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded 65 km W of Foxton Beach, New Zealand on June 28, 2026 at 11:04 UTC. The USGS PAGER system assigned a green alert level for this event, signalling no significant casualties or damage expected. The event was offshore. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-06-17 2026-06-17 11:41:29 UTC | 4.3mb | 45 km ESE of Castlepoint, New Zealand -41.049°, 176.724° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
At 11:41 UTC on June 17, 2026, a magnitude 4.3 tremor occurred 45 km ESE of Castlepoint, New Zealand. See the M4.3 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
Legend:
Mag: Magnitude (magType = ml, mb, mw, etc.)
Felt: Number of DYFI felt reports
MMI: Modified Mercalli Intensity (I-X+)
Alert: PAGER alert level
Depth: Shallow (<70km), Intermediate, Deep (>300km)
Status: Auto = preliminary, Reviewed = verified by seismologist
Click any row to see additional technical details.
Earthquake Statistics
Last 24 Hours1
Last 30 Days5
2026 (M2.5+)52
Largest (30 Days)
M5.0
141 km ENE of Hicks Bay, New Zealand
5 hours ago
Largest in 2026
M5.8
126 km ENE of Pauanui, New Zealand
2026-05-05
Data from USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Updated every 5 minutes.
About New Zealand
New Zealand lies along the boundary between the Pacific and Australian plates. The country experiences frequent earthquakes and has strict building codes.
New Zealand Earthquakes 2026
In 2026, New Zealand has recorded 52 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater so far. The largest earthquake in New Zealand in 2026 was a magnitude 5.8 event near Pauanui, New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many earthquakes occur in New Zealand?
In the past 30 days, 5 earthquakes have been recorded in the New Zealand region.
What was the biggest recent earthquake in New Zealand?
The largest recent earthquake in the New Zealand area was a magnitude 5.0 event that occurred 141 km ENE of Hicks Bay, New Zealand.
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