'Unnerving' cluster of earthquakes rock New Zealand
An earthquake has rocked New Zealand with more than 1000 residents reporting they felt a shake.
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Tūrangi on the North Island.
The area was hit just after 12.30pm on Thursday (local time), with about 1600 claiming to have felt it.
Almost 40 people described it as a strong earthquake while two said it was severe and four claimed it was extreme.
One woman wrote on Twitter, 'Woah that was another decent shake".
"Tūrangi got nailed," another said.
"Take it easy, nature, you're starting to get serious."
Another described the cluster of earthquakes as "unnerving".
"We get mild ones all the time that are hard to distinguish from trucks rumbling past," she said on Twitter.
"Ground was moving with these ones."
Motuoapa resident Matt West told Stuff.co.nz his walls were moving and he had to steady his shaking television.
The earthquake comes after a number small shakes were reported in the area early Thursday morning.
According to GeoNet, there were three weak earthquakes from 1.24am to 1.30am at Taupo, about 50 kilometres from Tūrangi.
There were another two light earthquakes at 2am before the 4.8 earthquake hit 15km northeast of Tūrangi just after midday.
GeoNet reported a magnitude 3.8 earthquake hit 20km northeast of Tūrangi about 1.15pm.
More to come.
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