Wellington shaken by 4.5 magnitude earthquake overnight

5:34 am on 31 December 2020

Wellington region has had a sharp jolt this morning from a 4.5 earthquake just west of Upper Hutt.

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck just west of Upper Hutt in the early hours of 31 December, 2020.

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck just west of Upper Hutt in the early hours of 31 December, 2020. Photo: Twitter / GeoNet

The temblor, which struck at 1.10am, was registered at a depth of 25km and is described by GeoNet as a moderate shake.

On its website, close to 13,000 people reported feeling it, several hundred of them experiencing the jolt as 'strong'.