Magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Singleton, NSW
Page last updated:23 April 2025
Further aftershocks are possible
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake hit the New South Wales Hunter region at 2.55 AM on Wednesday 23 April near Singleton.
The earthquake was widely felt across the Newcastle and Sydney regions, with over 4,000 felt reports registered in the first six hours, including as far south as Wollongong and as far north as Port Macquarie.
The earthquake was quite shallow, which accounts for the large number of felt reports.
Felt grid for the M4.6 Singleton, NSW earthquake
Senior Seismologist Dr Phil Cummins said there have been more than 35 events of magnitude 3 or above in the region in the last 20 years, the vast majority in the upper Hunter Valley near Muswellbrook.
The last large event in the lower Hunter Valley occurred in 1994 near Ellalong, where a magnitude 5.4 earthquake caused damage and injuries. While earthquakes of this size are less common in Australia, no area is completely immune from earthquakes.
“Moderate to large earthquakes can occur anywhere across the continent, and without warning. On average, Australia experiences an earthquake of this size once every year or two,” Dr Cummins said.
He also advised that it would be reasonable to expect aftershocks following this earthquake.
Aftershocks are smaller than the mainshock and generally become less frequent with time. “However, it is important to note that it is not possible to predict precisely when or how large these earthquakes may be, or when the sequence will diminish to a point where they are no longer detectable.”
“The Australian plate is the fastest moving continental land mass on Earth and is colliding into the Pacific plate to the north and east, and the Eurasian Plate to the northwest.
“This generates compressive stress in the interior of the Australian continent. Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of this stress when rocks deep underground break and move along a fault line."
Earthquakes can and do occur anywhere and at any time. 女女视频works with governments, industry and communities to help reduce the impact of disasters on our country, and to help build more resilient communities now and in the future.
To protect yourself during an earthquake, the best advice is to drop, cover and hold on. First, drop to your hands and knees, bend over to protect your vital organs, and protect your head and neck with your hands. If you can, find something sturdy to shelter under, such as a desk or table, and hold on by gripping a table leg or other part of your sturdy shelter.
If you felt the earthquake, please complete a felt report at .
For earthquake information for media outlets, please visit this page to download a statement from Senior Seismologist Dr Phil Cummins.