Strong quake strikes near Te Anau, felt across South Island

Chris Lynch
Chris Lynch
Jul 16, 2026 9:25 pm |
Seismograph and Earthquake - 3D Rendering / Istock / Petrovich9
Seismograph and Earthquake - 3D Rendering / Istock / Petrovich9

A Tsunami warning has been downgraded after the Te Anau earthquake was revised to magnitude 5.9, Civil Defence said.

According to GeoNet, the earthquake occurred at 9.14pm on Thursday, about 40 kilometres north of Te Anau, at a depth of 38 kilometres.

GeoNet initially classified the shaking as severe near the epicentre.

Geonet render

Chloe Cameron, who was in Arrowtown, said the shaking was “long and quite strong.”

As of 9.20pm, nearly 10,000 people had submitted felt reports. Six people described the shaking as extreme, while 14 reported it as severe. Another 197 said it was strong, with most others reporting moderate, light or weak shaking.

 

 

Chris Lynch
Chris Lynch

Chris Lynch is a journalist, videographer and content producer, broadcasting from his independent news and production company in Christchurch, New Zealand. If you have a news tip or are interested in video content, email [email protected]

Have you got a news tip? Get in touch here

got a news tip?