Hitting 10km north of Castlepoint in Wairarapa at 3.52pm (1.52pm AEDT), measuring in at 33km deep, the earthquake has damaged homes and closed off roads.
No injuries have been reported yet in the quake-prone region, however firefighters have been in damage-control ever since.
The quake was felt right across Wellington and as far as hundreds of kilometres away, even toppling a giant eagle which was suspended from the ceiling at Wellington Airport. Multiple aftershocks have also been felt, according to GeoNet.
Evacuation procedures have taken place around the city, including in most major shopping centres where items have reportedly been toppling from shelves. Power outages have also been reported.
In 1885, Wellington was home to New Zealand’s most powerful earthquake. Measuring in at a magnitude of 8.2 quake, four people were killed and the city’s geography was changed permanently.
The Wairarapa is also no stranger to high magnitude earthquakes, having experienced two destructive magnitude 7 quakes in 1942.
