Wellington region has had a sharp jolt this morning from a 4.5 earthquake just west of Upper Hutt.
The temblor, which struck at 1.10am, was registered at a depth of 25km and is described by GeoNet as a moderate shake.
On its website, close to 13,000 people reported feeling it, several hundred of them experiencing the jolt as 'strong'.
Heard that coming for at least 3-4 seconds before feeling it. Had time to yell out to the wife to hang on. Then a solid whack, like something hitting the side of the house. Continued to wobble for another 20 seconds or so. We're in Lower Hutt.
— Blair Hinton (@BlairHinton4) December 30, 2020