Strong Kermadec earthquake shakes New Zealand's North Island

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the Kermadec region on August 5 evening, sending tremors across New Zealand's eastern and lower North Island, with thousands of residents reporting they felt the shaking.

According to GeoNet, the earthquake occurred at 7:43 p.m. local time at a depth of more than 100 kilometres, approximately 560 kilometres northeast of Whakatāne.

More than 3,500 people reported feeling the quake shortly after it struck.

GeoNet said deep earthquakes of this type are often felt across large parts of New Zealand despite occurring hundreds of kilometres offshore because the subducting tectonic plate beneath the North Island efficiently transmits seismic energy to the surface.

The agency said the earthquake served as a reminder for New Zealanders to remain prepared for seismic events.

It urged the public to "Drop, Cover and Hold" if they felt shaking and to remember "Long or Strong, Get Gone" if they were near the coast or a lake, advising people to move immediately to higher ground after prolonged or strong tremors.

GeoNet also addressed reports of several additional earthquakes that briefly appeared following the main shock, explaining that its automatic detection system can occasionally misinterpret seismic waves generated by large, distant earthquakes.

The agency said the phenomenon can produce what it describes as "ghost quakes," in which the system temporarily identifies multiple local events that did not actually occur.

By Vafa Guliyeva