British town hit by earthquake as residents left feeling ‘shaking’ and ‘rumbles’ from tremor
A minor earthquake struck Grimsby, on England's east coast, on Tuesday evening, with residents in the town and nearby Cleethorpes reporting shaking homes and a loud rumbling noise. The tremor caused no damage or injuries but startled locals, some of whom initially mistook it for thunder or something falling in their loft. Such events, while unsettling for those nearby, are a routine occurrence in the UK and not a cause for concern.
The quake measured 2.2 on the Richter scale and originated around 5km below the surface at 7.47pm, according to the British Geological Survey, which classed it as minor and only detectable close to the epicentre. Britain records up to 300 such tremors each year, as the country lies outside any major seismic zone. Larger quakes are rare but not unheard of: a 6.1-magnitude tremor hit the North Sea's Dogger Bank in 1931, felt across Britain, France and Belgium, while Grimsby itself experienced a 3.9-magnitude quake in 2018 that was felt up to 60 miles away.
- Minor 2.2-magnitude earthquake hit Grimsby, felt by nearby residents
- No damage reported; Britain records up to 300 such quakes yearly
- Grimsby had a stronger 3.9-magnitude quake back in 2018
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Earthquakes happen when pressure in the Earth’s crust is released, sending vibrations through the ground. Britain is outside the world’s major earthquake zones, but it records small tremors regularly.
The British Geological Survey monitors earthquakes across the country and measures their strength. Most UK tremors are minor; stronger ones are rare, though parts of the east coast have felt larger quakes in the past.