Magnitude 4.2 quake hits Wellington region early this morning

7:53 am on 2 January 2021

Wellingtonians were shaken by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake just before 5am today.

GeoNet said the quake occurred at 4.57am and recorded the epicentre as 5km west of Upper Hutt at a depth of 26 kilometres classifying it as a moderate quake.

On its website by 7am, more than 7600 people had reported feeling the quake.

There was a 4.5 magnitude jolt in the same region at 1.10am on 31 December.