Mapped: Which parts of the UK were rocked by last night’s earthquake?

The Independent/Datawrapper

The UK was rocked by an earthquake on Friday night with residents from up to 40km from the epicentre reporting tremors.

The quake was felt across the UK, with some reporting that their homes were “shaking.” Elsewhere, it was likened to a “bomb going off.”

Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts System put the quake at 4.2 magnitude, while the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) put it at 3.8 magnitude.

BBC journalist Alex Humphreys reported feeling the “mini earthquake” in Cardiff overnight, 30 miles – 50km – from where it struck, noting that her “whole bed shook”.

Occurring at a depth of 3km, the epicentre was in Brynmawr, Wales, but residents from the West Midlands, Dudley and Wolverhampton included, took to say they also felt it.

Mapped: Which parts of the UK were rocked by last night’s earthquake? (The Independent/Datawrapper)

Katy Alexandra Jack tweeted: “Imagine, I just felt this all the way in Dudley, West Midlands.”

Meanwhile, Ian Mack reported that he felt a “small earthquake in Wolverhampton at 0002 today”.

The tremor was also felt in Merthyr Tydfil, 5kms from the epicentre, and Aberdare 6kms away, volcanodiscovery.com reported.

“Weak shaking might have been felt in Rhonnda (pop. 59,500) located 12 km from the epicentre, Ebbw Vale (pop. 33,100) 16 km away, Tonypandy (pop. 62,500) 16 km away, and Pontypridd (pop. 30,400) 20 km away,” the website said.

“Other towns or cities near the epicentre where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Newport (pop. 306,800) located 37 km from the epicentre, Cardiff (pop. 447,300) 37 km away, and Swansea (pop. 300,400) 38 km away.”

Earlier this month, residents across Essex were awoken by “shaking” and “loud rumbling” after an earthquake struck at 5.05am on 9 February. The British Geological Society (BGS) confirmed that the 2.6 magnitude quake occurred in Bicknacre, southeast of Chelsmford, at a depth of around 9km.

The largest known UK earthquake occurred near the Dogger Bank in 1931, measuring 6.1. Research suggests that the largest possible quake in the UK rests at around magnitude 6.5, with a magnitude 5 quake experienced every 10 to 20 years.