The coastal Lancashire village of Silverdale has been shaken by an earthquake for the second time in just over a fortnight, with residents awoken by the now familiar sound of rattling radiators and shaking homes.
Early Morning Tremor Strikes
The latest tremor, measuring 2.5 in magnitude, struck at 5.03am with its epicentre located 1.6 miles (2.6km) off the coast. It follows a stronger 3.3 magnitude earthquake that hit the same area on 3 December, which was recorded as the most powerful quake in England since a similar event in Staffordshire in 2023.
According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), the most recent event is considered an aftershock from the earlier December quake. A spokesperson stated it was "not unusual" for such tremors to occur in the weeks or months following a larger seismic event.
Residents Describe the Shaking
People across the Morecambe Bay area took to social media to describe their experiences, with accounts varying in severity. Some reported a "quick sharp shaking jolt" accompanied by a noise like thunder, while others mentioned a "huge bang" or a "loud boom" that caused bedroom windows to shake and pictures to rattle.
One resident posted online: "Woke me up. Sounded like a short rumbling in the distance, like it happened a few streets away. Only lasted a couple of seconds. Nothing like the intensity of the previous one. I didn’t feel the need to check for damage, but because of the last one, I definitely knew it was an earthquake."
Understanding UK Earthquakes
While earthquakes in Britain are far less common than in many global seismic hotspots, the country typically experiences between 200 and 300 tremors every year. However, the BGS notes that only around 10% of these are strong enough to be felt by the public without the use of specialist monitoring equipment.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or damage to property following either of the recent Silverdale earthquakes, allowing the village to return to its usual calm.
