A 3.3-magnitude earthquake shook homes in north-west England late on Wednesday, the British Geological Survey (BGS) reported.
The quake struck shortly after 11.23pm and was felt across Lancashire and the southern Lake District, including the towns of Kendal and Ulverston, within 12 miles of the epicentre.
Data suggests the quake occurred just off the coast of Silverdale, Lancashire at a depth of 1.86 miles.
Residents told the BGS it “felt like an underground explosion” and was “so powerful it shook the whole house”.
The Volcano Discovery website, which also collects information on earthquakes, received more than 1,100 reports from people who were in the area at the time.
Most reports detailed “light” or “weak” shaking.
Each year, the BGS detects between 200 and 300 earthquakes in the UK, but only about 20 to 30 are strong enough to be felt.
Most go unnoticed, recorded only by sensitive instruments, and the vast majority cause little or no damage.
The most recent earthquake measuring more than 3.3 magnitude was felt in parts of Perth and Kinross on 20 October. The BGS said the quake struck at 7.25am with its epicentre in Pubil, in the Glen Lyon region.
