Earthquake.now

M5.3 Earthquake near Bluff, New Zealand — 18 January 2026

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.3 was recorded near Bluff, New Zealand on , with an epicentre 293 km southwest of Bluff, at a focal depth of 18.9 km. It ranked as the 2nd strongest of 6 earthquakes recorded in New Zealand in the preceding 30 days.

5.3 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2026-01-18 16:45:09

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.3 (moderate)

Focal depth: 18.9 km (shallow)

Epicentre: -48.2470, 165.2880

Location: 293 km SW of Bluff, New Zealand

Country: New Zealand

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake radiates roughly 1,344 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 432, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 03:46 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.

This event was shallower than 68% of the 196 earthquakes recorded in New Zealand in our catalogue and stronger than 88% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -48.2470, 165.2880 — 293 km southwest of Bluff. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake 8 km north-northeast of here on 29 April 2025.

The nearest other settlement in our records is Riverton (12 km north-northwest).

Why the 19 km depth matters

At 19 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.3 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

22 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.0 event near Riverton on 25 March 2025. This M5.3 event released about 355 times less energy than that event.

5 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 0 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the January 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in New Zealand during January 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in New Zealand

All recorded earthquakes in New Zealand →

Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 5 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Bluff?

It measured magnitude 5.3 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.3 earthquake radiates roughly 1,344 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Bluff?

The focus was 19 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Bluff earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.3 and a focal depth of 19 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Bluff happen?

18 January 2026 at 16:45 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

How often do earthquakes happen near Bluff?

22 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.0 event near Riverton on 25 March 2025. This M5.3 event released about 355 times less energy than that event.