Homes began ‘shaking’ after tremors were recorded in two earthquakes that hit the UK this week.
On Monday, two tremors were recorded in Powys in Wales as locals reported feeling a weak “trembling” in the area. The first one struck at 9.37am and occurred in rural Powys near the village of Llangurig.
It was recorded to have a magnitude of 1.0 on the Richter scale, meaning it was a “micro” earthquake, which are generally not felt by people. The second happened minutes later at 10.09am with a magnitude of 2.3 – meaning it is still classified as “micro”.
Local reports described a “weak trembling” feeling, with one saying water in a bottle visibly trembled and another saying a radio aerial rattled. It took place in Cors Caron National Nature Reserve in Ceredigion, and was felt in Aberystwyth and Ystrad Meurig, reports Wales Online.
Both incidents were recorded by the British Geological Survey, an independent research organisation that provides data on all earthquakes around the British Isles. Between 200 and 300 earthquakes are thought to hit the UK every year.
In February, a 1.5 magnitude earthquake was recorded further north in Snowdonia. The tremor was described as having a “roar like a strong wind” by one local resident, while others said it was “just a rumble for a few seconds”. One person reported that their open wardrobe door “moved” during the quake, which struck at around 12.48am on February 8.
The largest earthquake to ever strike in the UK occurred at Dogger Bank in North Sea in 1931, with a considerably larger magnitude of 6.1. Located 60 miles offshore, it was strong enough to cause minor damage to buildings on the east coast of England, with Filey being the worst hit. The quake was felt as far away as London, and even caused the head of the waxwork of notorious killer Dr Crippen at Madame Tussauds to fall off.
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