Tremors felt in Cardiff after 3.8 magnitude earthquake hits South Wales

One person reported the tremors knocked their parrot off its perch

2 years ago

| News

Just before midnight, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake hit South Wales.

The news of the quake was quickly confirmed by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) who said that it occurred last night just before 12 am.

The epicentre of the earthquake was approximately five kilometres west of Merthyr Tydfil.

According to early estimations, it had a magnitude of between 3.8 and 4.2 and was considered to be shallow, with a depth of roughly two kilometres. However, shallow earthquakes are often felt more powerfully than deeper ones because they are closer to the surface.

The tremors were felt across South Wales, in areas such as Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, and Abertillery. They were also felt across the border as far as Birmingham.

Many people took to Twitter to talk about last night’s earthquake.

One Twitter user said: “So far Wales have had a players strike, the WRU being WRUish, got stuffed at home and away by Ireland and Scotland, and an actual earthquake. I’ve stuck a tenner on them, the omens are all there for glorious victory.”

Another user said it felt as if a car had hit her house, however, most people that took to Twitter to talk about the earthquake said that they did not feel a thing.

According to Wales Online, one person reported their parrot fell off its perch, whilst another said: “The bedroom wall was shaking… I had the light on so saw it plain as day. The whole house shook! A scary moment! Frightened the life out of me.”