Powerful earthquake of 6.1 magnitude strikes off New Zealand coast, tremors felt near Wellington

The quake started with a large jolt followed by at least 30 seconds of moderate shaking. However, a short time later (about 26 minutes) a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit 45km southwest of Taumarunui.

A powerful magnitude 6.1 earthquake centred around New Zealand capital Wellington on Wednesday. The quake struck 50 km northwest of Paraparaumu and was 57.4 kilometers deep, according to New Zealand's geoscience research service provider. No civilian casualties were reported.

According to reports, the quake started with a large jolt followed by at least 30 seconds of moderate shaking.

Within 15 minutes, over more than 60,000 people in both the North and South Islands reported on GeoNet that they had felt the earthquake including in Auckland and Christchurch.

The depth was approx 50km meaning it was felt more widely and strongly, GeoNet tweeted.

The quake may have been felt in Paraparaumu, Levin, Porirua, French Pass, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Wellington, Whanganui, Waverley, Palmerston North, Feilding, Picton, Eketahuna, Masterton, Martinborough, Hunterville, Hawera, Blenheim, Seddon, Nelson, Dannevirke, Pongaroa, Stratford, Opunake, Taihape, Castlepoint, Motueka, Ohakune and surrounding localities.

The National Emergency Management Agency has advised there is no tsunami threat, the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office shared on Facebook.

However, a short time later (about 26 minutes) a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit 45km southwest of Taumarunui and at a depth of 78km.

Earlier on Monday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 hit the Kermadec Islands in New Zealand, the US Geological Survey said.

Earthquakes occur frequently in New Zealand as the country is situated in the collision zone between the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, part of the Pacific Basin Ring of Fire, where many earthquakes and volcanoes occur. Most events occur along the main ranges running from Fiordland in the southwest to East Cape in the northeast.

This axis follows the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates. Large earthquakes are less common along the central Alpine Fault, where the plates are not subducting and the forces are accommodated in different ways.