Earthquake · 16 Oct 2026
M5.0 earthquake — Auckland Islands, New Zealand region
- Event
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M5.0 (Moderate)
- Severity
- High
- Time
- (18 days ago)
- Location
- Auckland Islands, New Zealand region
- Country
- New Zealand
- Coordinates
- -49.883°, 163.404°
- Source
- USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
What this means
This was a moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.0. Can damage poorly built structures near the epicenter, while well-designed buildings usually suffer slight damage at most. Roughly 1,300 earthquakes of this size occur worldwide each year.
Magnitude measures the energy released at the source. How strongly the ground shook at any particular place depends on distance from the epicenter, the depth of the quake, local geology and building construction, so the same magnitude can be harmless in one place and damaging in another. First magnitudes are preliminary and are often revised by a few tenths as more stations report.
More from New Zealand
GlobalRisk has recorded 9 events in or near New Zealand in the data we hold. See the full New Zealand risk monitor.
Source and attribution
Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. View the original report ↗
GlobalRisk republishes only basic facts (type, time, location, magnitude or alert level) and links to the original report. Details may be revised by the source after this page was generated on 3 Nov 2026, 05:09 UTC.
Related guides
- Earthquake Magnitude Explained: What M4, M6 and M7 Really Mean
- Earthquake Safety: What to Do Before, During and After
For situational awareness only, not an official warning. Follow local authorities. Open the live map