New Zealand / Bay Of Plenty

Magnitude 4.2 earthquake hits near Whakatāne

05:40 am on 21 March 2023

A 4.2 earthquake struck 20km west of Whakatāne at 4.48am on Tuesday. Photo: Geonet

A 4.2 earthquake has struck in the Bay of Plenty, the latest in a swarm of of quakes.

The tremor was 3km deep and centred 20km west of Whakatāne.

About 900 people reported feeling the quake, which hit at 4.48am.

It was the latest in a series of earthquakes to have hit the Bay of Plenty.

Hundreds of tremors have occurred over the past few days, with the largest a 4.8 magnitude.

The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) said while the current frequent quakes were unsettling for those across the Bay of Plenty region, they were reminiscent of similar events in 2018 and 2019.