A significant earthquake described by residents as feeling like an 'underground explosion' shook parts of north-west England on Wednesday night.
Tremor Details and Epicentre
The seismic event, which registered a magnitude of 3.3 on the Richter scale, occurred at 11:23pm on December 4, 2025. According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), the epicentre was located just off the coast of Silverdale in Lancashire, at a relatively shallow depth of approximately 1.86 miles (3 kilometres).
The tremor was felt across a wide area, including Lancashire and the southern Lake District. The towns of Kendal and Ulverston, situated within 12 miles of the epicentre, are believed to have experienced the strongest effects.
Resident Reports and Emergency Response
Local residents contacted the BGS to describe the unsettling experience. One common report was that the quake "felt like an underground explosion" and was "so powerful it shook the whole house".
Emergency services were alerted to numerous calls. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that "many residents felt or heard a loud bang". Similarly, Lancaster police stated they had received reports of a "loud explosion" in the area.
Authorities swiftly deployed resources to assess the situation. A police spokesperson said: "There have been no reports of anyone injured or damage caused but we have officers in the area, together with colleagues from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the North West Ambulance Service."
Context of UK Seismic Activity
The event generated significant public interest, with the Volcano Discovery website receiving more than 1,100 reports from people in the area at the time. However, most accounts detailed only 'light' or 'weak' shaking.
Earthquakes in the UK are more common than many realise. The British Geological Survey detects between 200 and 300 tremors across the nation each year. Of these, only around 20 to 30 are typically strong enough to be felt by the public, with the vast majority causing little to no damage.
The most recent comparable event was a slightly stronger earthquake felt in parts of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, on October 20, 2025. That tremor had its epicentre near Pubil in the Glen Lyon region.
While startling for those who experienced it, last night's earthquake serves as a reminder of the UK's low-level but persistent seismic activity, which is closely monitored by scientists.
