Late-night 3.3-magnitude earthquake shakes homes in the North-West
The tremor was felt across Lancashire and Cumbria
Last updated 20 hours ago
A 3.3-magnitude earthquake shook homes in north-west England late on Wednesday, the British Geological Survey (BGS) reported.
The tremor struck shortly after 11.23 pm and was felt across Lancashire and the southern Lake District, including the towns of Kendal and Ulverston, within 12 miles of the epicentre.
Data suggests the quake occurred just off the coast of Silverdale, Lancashire at a depth of 1.86 miles.
Residents told the BGS it "felt like an underground explosion" and was "so powerful it shook the whole house".
"If you know of any property that has been damaged or potentially, please contact 101 – quoting log 1613 of 3rd December."
The Volcano Discovery website, which also collects information on earthquakes, received more than 1,100 reports from people who were in the area at the time.
Most reports detailed "light" or "weak" shaking.
Some locals reported fixtures and fittings rattling.
Sue Anderson wrote on a Carnforth social media page: "Absolutely shaken to my core. Don't think I'll be sleeping tonight, terrified."
Lynn Snowdon wrote on the local Facebook page for Carnforth, Lancashire: "What the hell was that? House just shaken like a leaf?"
Dozens of locals reported similar experiences, with links posted to details of the tremor on the Volcano Discovery website.
One resident in the village of Over Kellet, Lancashire, said: "It felt like my whole house moved side to side and everything inside just shook, and it was one big thud then the after-shakes seemed to last a bit longer than the first shake and slowly fizzled out. Very scary."
A resident in the nearby village of Silverdale added: "Loud rumble and rattling of fixtures in house, as though something had collapsed or the chimney had fallen off. Significant enough to go outside to check."
A resident of Carnforth said: "Was a very strange feeling for this area. Shaking and rumbling along with a bang. Thought a train had derailed or something as I live near the tracks."
A Lancaster police spokesperson said, "At 11.23pm on Wednesday night (3rd December), we received reports of a loud explosion in the Carnforth area.
"There has been a minor earthquake in the area, near to the Lancashire and Cumbria border, measuring 3.3 magnitude.
"There have been no reports of anyone injured or damage caused but we have officers in the area, together with colleagues from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the North West Ambulance Service.
Each year, the BGS detects between 200 and 300 earthquakes in the UK, but only around 20 to 30 are strong enough to be felt.
Most go unnoticed, recorded only by sensitive instruments, and the vast majority cause little or no damage.
The most recent earthquake measuring more than 3.3 magnitude was felt in parts of Perth and Kinross on October 20th.