| Magnitude | 5.5 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 43.0 km |
| Coordinates | -30.760, -177.988 |
| UTC time | 1978-05-20 21:50:47.600 |
Earthquake details
Saturday, May 20, 1978 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Saturday, May 20, 1978 at 21:50 UTC with a magnitude of 5.5. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 904.2 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.988 and latitude -30.760.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1978-05-20
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 904.2 km |
| Tauranga | 939.7 km |
| Gisborne | 951.9 km |
| Auckland | 952.8 km |
| Manukau | 956.4 km |
| Papatoetoe | 957.0 km |
| Rotorua | 976.7 km |
| Hamilton | 996.5 km |
| Napier City | 1076.8 km |
| Hastings | 1093.7 km |
| New Plymouth | 1173.2 km |
| Whanganui | 1200.0 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-16 20:03 UTC
71.4 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
16.0 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
68.9 km
M 4.6
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-11 03:33 UTC
28.7 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-06-29 03:10 UTC
58.9 km
M 5.1
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-06-21 23:14 UTC
64.8 km
M 4.5
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-06-18 04:58 UTC
54.3 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-05-31 19:15 UTC
83.8 km
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