Magnitude
M3.4
- Depth
- 5.0 km
- Source
- EMSC
Canterbury · Waitaki District
Country overviewNew Zealand · Canterbury
M3.4 Earthquake near Waitaki District, Canterbury (New Zealand)
Map
About this earthquake
On May 19, 2026 at 03:11 UTC, a magnitude M3.4 earthquake occurred near Waitaki District, Canterbury (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 5 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage.
The event was recorded by EMSC. New Zealand: 5 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.
Details
ID
a77d83693412094a90d4954e6332ef207c99ba01
Magnitude
M3.4
Depth
5.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-19 03:11:58 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
City
County
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-44.29230,
169.96760
Temperature
3.2°C
Depth profile
Shallow
5 km
5 km — shallower than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 km
Why depth matters
Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.
Depth classes per USGS
New Zealand
Context for this earthquake
05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 725 Catalogue entries
Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.
Open seismic profileHistoric earthquake map · New Zealand
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Country statistics · New Zealand
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
611
Country (24h)
New Zealand
5
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