Magnitude 5.6-5.9 earthquake strikes off North Island's East Coast near Te Araroa, New Zealand

A strong earthquake measuring between magnitude 5.6 and 5.9 strikes off the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island near Te Araroa on August 2, 2026. The tremor, occurring at 8:35 p.m. local time, triggers over 5,000 user felt reports to GeoNet. Despite the widespread shaking felt by an estimated 440,000 people, the US Geological Survey issues a green alert, indicating a low risk of casualties and projecting that economic losses will likely remain under 1 million US Dollars.

North Island earthquake event

• ▪The German Research Center for Geosciences reported the earthquake depth at 10 km, while GeoNet reported it at 36 to 40 km.
• ▪An earthquake measuring magnitude 5.9 struck off the east coast of New Zealand's North Island on August 2, 2026.
• ▪New Zealand's GeoNet reported the earthquake as a magnitude 5.7 tremor striking 10 km south of Te Araroa at 8:35 p.m. local time on August 2, 2026.

Population exposure estimates

• ▪The US Geological Survey estimated that over 440,000 people across New Zealand might have felt the earthquake.
• ▪The US Geological Survey estimated that approximately 31,100 people were in areas that experienced light shaking of intensity IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale.

Casualty risk assessment

• ▪The US Geological Survey estimated a 94.8% chance of no direct fatalities resulting from the earthquake shaking.
• ▪Initial reports and monitoring agencies indicated no immediate major damages or casualties from the earthquake.

Economic damage projections

• ▪The US Geological Survey projected a 9.1% risk of economic losses ranging between 1 and 10 million US Dollars.
• ▪The US Geological Survey estimated a 90.4% chance that total economic losses from the earthquake would range between 0 and 1 million US Dollars.

User-reported shaking experiences

• ▪User reports submitted to VolcanoDiscovery indicated that the earthquake was felt at distances ranging from approximately 170 to 350 km from the epicenter.
• ▪More than 5,000 people submitted felt reports to GeoNet shortly after the earthquake struck.