UNITED KINGDOM — A rare magnitude 3.4 earthquake shook parts of northwest England late Wednesday night, startling residents across communities north of Manchester. The tremor, recorded at 10 km depth, struck just east of Warton, outside major national parks and well south of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.
The quake was strong enough to be widely felt across Lancashire and Cumbria, with reports describing a sharp jolt followed by several seconds of vibration. No structural damage has been reported so far, but many described a sudden, low-frequency rumble that caused windows and furniture to shake.
Earthquakes of this strength are uncommon in the UK, where most seismic activity is minor. The region north of Manchester does experience occasional stress-related slips along ancient fault lines, but M3+ events remain infrequent.
USGS data shows the quake’s epicenter positioned between Lancaster, Kendal, and Morecambe Bay, an area not typically associated with notable seismic events. Scientists will continue monitoring for aftershocks, though none have been detected yet.
