"Devon earthquake: Biggest tremor in the UK for SIX YEARS shakes the South West"
The nation was hit by its biggest earthquake in six years today, shaking homes and leaving residents frightened and confused.
The 4.1 magnitude quake was felt over hundreds of miles, with thousands of people caught in the tremors across the West Country and South Wales.
Sally Norden, of Barnstaple, North Devon, said: “I thought I was going mad. I was just sat having a cuppa in my front room and I felt the earth move.
“I looked outside and the birds seemed to be noisy and flying off. It was scary and I was left feeling disorientated.”
The 10-second tremor struck at 1.21pm and Emma Larkworthy, also from the area, said: “My daughter and I felt the house shudder.
"It was scary hearing what we thought was a loud bang and then all the furniture shook, then we heard like a rumble and rattling and we couldn’t fathom out where it was coming from.”"
"Phil Aageson, who works at a facility for people with
mental health issues in the town, said: “The whole building shook and people thought something had hit the building. It shook and wobbled and no one knew what it was.”
Sally Norden, of Barnstaple, North Devon, said: “I thought I was going mad. I was just sat having a cuppa in my front room and I felt the earth move.
“I looked outside and the birds seemed to be noisy and flying off. It was scary and I was left feeling disorientated.”
The 10-second tremor struck at 1.21pm and Emma Larkworthy, also from the area, said: “My daughter and I felt the house shudder.
"It was scary hearing what we thought was a loud bang and then all the furniture shook, then we heard like a rumble and rattling and we couldn’t fathom out where it was coming from.”"
"Phil Aageson, who works at a facility for people with
mental health issues in the town, said: “The whole building shook and people thought something had hit the building. It shook and wobbled and no one knew what it was.”
The British Geological Survey said the epicentre was 12 miles out to sea – 3.1 miles down – in the Bristol Channel, between the seaside resort of Ilfracombe in Devon and the Gower Peninsula in South Wales.
But the tremors spread for miles and were felt in Dartmoor, Bristol, Taunton, Swansea, Llanelli, Gloucester and South Molton.
Assistant seismologist Julian Bukits said:”It’s a significant-sized earthquake by UK standards but worldwide it’s pretty average - we get about 5,500 this size in the world every year.
“In the UK we probably get one this size every couple of years. There’s been no reports of any damage.”
There were no reports of injuries but hundreds of people expressed their shock on Twitter and local radio stations.
One resident in Bridgwater, Somerset, said she felt her office “swaying” and in South Wales, someone wrote: “Blimey did anyone else feel that tremor? Burry Port Llanelli.”
A woman from Sticklepath, Devon, said: “My bungalow shook. I have a big glass cabinet which also shook.
“It only went on for a couple of seconds, no more, but it was quite scary.”
Jane, from Barnstaple, Devon, said:”My bed was violently shaken, left to right, for about five to ten seconds.”
Kate Pace said:”Definitely just felt an earthquake then, my whole desk shook!”
Vanessa Webb said: ”Just had a mild earthquake her in Devon, scary stuff.”
In South Wales, someone using the name BuskingWomble wrote: “Blimey did anyone else feel that tremor? BurryPort Llanelli.”
Another said: “Earthquake Tremor in Wales today. We felt it in the building in Swansea.”
Seismologists said it was the biggest quake to hit Britain since one measuring 5.2 damaged buildings and toppled chimneys in Market Rasen, Lincs, in 2008.
Expert Julian Bukits said: “It is a significant sized earthquake by UK standards.”"
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