Somerset earthquake: Residents say ‘whole house rattled’ during 3.2-magnitude tremor

A 3.2-magnitude earthquake has been felt in Somerset, with some people saying they thought a vehicle had hit their house.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the tremor had been felt in several towns and villages in the southwest county.

People described a “big rumble”, a “boom”, and said their “whole house rattled”.

The BGS said the quake affected the area near Bridgwater, six miles (10km) north of Taunton, at 10.49pm.

It hit at a depth of three miles (5km).

“Earthquake felt in Taunton, Somerset tonight, thought something had hit the side of the house, made the windows shake, quite scary,” tweeted Dave Arthur.

Another person said they “thought a lorry had hit our house”.

Pippa Vile tweeted: “It was really strong here in North Curry, there was a boom and the house shock, it woke my husband and I.”

“This is the second earthquake I’ve experienced here in Langport,” said @Twitchcraft7.

“As before, a distant thunderous roar approached before a single jolt struck, giving me an instant headache and making my hairs stand on end.”

The US Geological Survey gave the quake’s magnitude as 3.4, with a depth of six miles (10km).

Small tremors are not uncommon in the British Isles.

Last month, a 2.1-magnitude earthquake was felt in Mull, in the west of Scotland, and a 2.3 tremor was recorded near Halifax in West Yorkshire.

The most recent in the BGS list of “significant British earthquakes” is the 4.6-magnitude quake in Cwmllynfell, South Wales, in February 2018.

The strongest in the last 20 years was a 5.2-magnitude around Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, in February 2008.

(c) Sky News 2019: Somerset earthquake: Residents say ‘whole house rattled’ during 3.2-magnitude tremor