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5.5MAG

MODERATE EARTHQUAKE

Kermadec Islands region

USGS

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Kermadec Islands region on 18 Sept 2026, 23:18 UTC. The hypocentre was 94.1 km below the surface — intermediate by seismological convention. No felt reports have been received so far. The figures have been revised 2 times since the first report. 7 other earthquakes above our reporting threshold have been recorded within 250 km in the past 30 days.

Depth
94.1 km

intermediate

Latitude
27.86°S

177.23°W longitude

Time
23:18 UTC

18 Sept 2026

Magnitude
M5.5

mww

EPICENTRE

View the official report

MAGNITUDE 5.5

Can damage poorly constructed buildings; well-built structures usually escape with little harm.

The scale is logarithmic: this released about 180 times the energy of a magnitude 4.0, roughly the energy of 3 thousand tonnes of TNT.

94.1 KM DEEP

At this depth the energy spreads before it reaches the surface. Shaking is usually weaker than a shallow earthquake of the same size, but it can be felt across a wider area.

NEARBY IN THE PAST 30 DAYS

7 earthquakes above our reporting threshold within 250 km of this one, the largest a magnitude 5.4.

OTHER RECENT EARTHQUAKES

M5.5 earthquake — Kermadec Islands region · Quakewire