Photo: 123RF
A moderate earthquake has struck southwest of Wellington, measuring a preliminary 4.7 magnitude.
The earthquake struck at 5.25pm at a depth of 5km, 35km southwest of Wellington, according to GeoNet.
The quake was felt throughout Wellington and the upper South Island, according to early reports.
Nearly 9500 people have reported feeling the quake on GeoNet, some as far away as the Bay of Plenty and Otago. The majority of users described it as "light" or "weak."
An earlier weak quake struck 20 kilometres south-east of Karamea at 4.41pm.
It measured magnitude 3.1.
Users on social media also reported feeling the quake.