New Zealand Hit by Another Earthquake

A magnitude 4.9 shake—another in a recent swarm—has rattled New Zealanders, particularly Wellingtonians who feel they’re overdue for ’the big one.’

A map of the quake that struck Wellington on Nov. 4, 2024. (Courtesy of GeoNet/New Zealand Government).

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has shaken central New Zealand on Monday afternoon. It occurred 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) north-east of Picton at a depth of 35 kilometres, according to government monitoring body GeoNet.

Over 12,000 people reported they'd felt the quake within minutes of it occurring by posting “felt” reports on the organisation’s website.