| Magnitude | 5.1 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 223.0 km |
| Coordinates | -40.250, 173.442 |
| UTC time | 1976-12-03 13:25:51.600 |
Earthquake details
Friday, December 3, 1976 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Friday, December 3, 1976 at 13:25 UTC with a magnitude of 5.1. The closest known location in the current dataset is Nelson (New Zealand - NZ), about 114.4 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude 173.442 and latitude -40.250.
| Location | Wellington |
| Country | New Zealand (NZ) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1976-12-03
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Nelson | 114.4 km |
| Whanganui | 141.4 km |
| New Plymouth | 142.7 km |
| Blenheim | 147.3 km |
| Paraparaumu | 152.4 km |
| Porirua | 154.2 km |
| Wellington | 161.1 km |
| Lower Hutt | 164.5 km |
| Upper Hutt | 167.9 km |
| Palmerston North | 184.5 km |
| Masterton | 203.2 km |
| Hastings | 298.6 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.4
Palmerston North
New Zealand · 2026-06-28 11:04 UTC
86.9 km
M 4.2
Wellington
New Zealand · 2026-04-13 15:26 UTC
96.1 km
M 4.3
Nelson
New Zealand · 2025-09-23 23:23 UTC
46.9 km
M 4.3
Wellington
New Zealand · 2025-08-30 11:31 UTC
93.7 km
M 4.2
New Plymouth
New Zealand · 2025-06-01 12:53 UTC
88.8 km
M 4.3
Whanganui
New Zealand · 2025-04-14 04:05 UTC
78.6 km
M 4.2
Lower Hutt
New Zealand · 2025-03-14 21:47 UTC
83.8 km
M 4.6
Wellington
New Zealand · 2025-03-06 13:20 UTC
85.2 km
Stay informed
Earthquake alerts
Create targeted notifications for important seismic activity near the places you follow.