Wales was hit by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake, with locals describing their ‘whole house’ shaking or worrying that someone was trying to break into their house.
The small earthquake hit just before midnight last night (Friday 24 February), taking place at a depth of 2km, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
The EMSC put the location at 12km (7.45 miles) north of Rhondda, with reports of the quake being felt by residents in Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Llangynidr Llanover and Llanfoist.
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While the EMSC said the earthquake was 3.8 magnitude, Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts System initially put it at 4.2 - now reading 3.4.
The specific location is believed to have been at Llangenny, a small village located on the slopes of the Sugar Loaf mountain.
Many locals said they could feel the shaking in their homes, with one Facebook user writing: “It definitely felt a lot worse than a light shaking in Ebbw Vale.
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"We thought someone had crashed into the cars on our drive. Frightening!
"Brought the whole estate out wondering what was going on! The whole house shook to the core.”
Commenting on the post, someone else said: “I heard a loud bang that sounded like a bomb just went off then my entire kitchen shook, my cat was frightened — it was weird, it only lasted seconds but it left an impact.”
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Another also wrote on the social media platform: "Being in Troedyrhiw we honestly thought someone had crashed into a wall so we checked the children were still sleeping and went out to check and there were a few in the street thinking the same."
They added: "It made the house shake a little where it felt like something happened outside, glad it didn't though."
Another person tweeted to say they felt the walls of their house in South Wales shaking around midnight, adding: “Felt like a car had driven into our house.”
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Speaking to Sky News, Blaenau Gwent resident Matt O’Shea said the ‘whole house shook for about five seconds’, while another person from the area told the outlet: "I felt the earthquake and was really concerned. It made our house shake, it was loud and the rumbling from it was clearly felt.”
A third added: "We just had an earthquake in South Wales, first one I've ever felt... thought there was someone trying to break into my house."
Topics: UK News
Jess Hardiman