Three earthquakes are felt by residents of several towns in Gran Canaria
Residents in several northern municipalities of Gran Canaria were woken during the early hours of Thursday morning after three earthquakes were recorded off the island’s northwest coast near Agaete, according to data from the National Geographic Institute (IGN).
The first and strongest tremor occurred at 1:19am, registering a magnitude of 2.9 on the Richter scale at a depth of 7 kilometres. The quake’s epicentre was located at 28.08°N, 15.7°W, and it was felt in Agaete, Teror, Gáldar, and La Vega de San Mateo with an intensity level of III–IV on a scale of X.
This means the shaking was noticeable indoors to many people, though only a few outdoors. According to the IGN’s description, such a quake can cause rattling of dishes and windows, make hanging objects sway, and even wake light sleepers, though it is generally not considered alarming.
A second tremor followed at 1:50am, measuring 2.3 mbLg and also originating 7 kilometres underground. It reached intensity level III, slightly weaker than the first, and was felt mainly in Agaete and Gáldar.
The third quake occurred later at 4:50am, with a magnitude of 1.9 and a shallower depth of 5 kilometres, again felt locally in Agaete with an intensity of II, barely perceptible to most residents.
These events are part of a series of minor seismic movements recorded in the same area over recent weeks. Since 20th October, several small earthquakes have been detected, the largest registering a magnitude of 2.2 mbLg, also centred near Agaete and Los Llanos.
No damage or injuries have been reported, and the IGN continues to monitor seismic activity around the island. Such low-magnitude tremors are relatively common in the Canary Islands, which sit on a region of volcanic and tectonic activity.
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