Earthquake recorded in North Sea off the Lincolnshire coast near Skegness

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake has been recorded in the North Sea off the Lincolnshire coast.

The tremor occurred at 1.04pm on Friday, September 18, according to data published by the British Geological Survey (BGS).

Its epicentre was approximately 20km east of Sutton-on-Sea and around 25km from Skegness, at a recorded depth of 11km beneath the North Sea.

No injuries, damage or significant disruption have been reported following the earthquake.

People in coastal communities including Sutton-on-Sea, Mablethorpe, Chapel St Leonards, Ingoldmells and Skegness may have experienced weak or very weak shaking due to their proximity to the epicentre.

However, tremors of this size can easily pass unnoticed, particularly when their epicentre is offshore.

The BGS recorded the earthquake at magnitude 3.3, while independent monitoring website VolcanoDiscovery initially estimated it to be slightly stronger at magnitude 3.4. Earthquake measurements can be revised as scientists analyse further seismic data.

How unusual are earthquakes in Lincolnshire?

Although earthquakes are uncommon enough to attract attention in Lincolnshire, small seismic events occur regularly across the UK.

The BGS says the country typically experiences around three magnitude 3 earthquakes each year. A magnitude 4 event happens approximately once every three to four years, while earthquakes reaching magnitude 5 are considerably less frequent.

The Lincolnshire area has experienced several noticeable tremors in the past.

A magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded near Grimsby on August 25 this year, with residents reporting a short rumble, bang or jolt.

Lincolnshire was also at the centre of a much stronger earthquake in February 2008. The magnitude 5.2 Market Rasen earthquake was felt across large parts of England and Wales and caused minor damage to a number of buildings.

The largest known earthquake recorded in the UK occurred beneath the North Sea in 1931. The magnitude 6.1 Dogger Bank earthquake was felt throughout Britain and in parts of continental Europe.

Friday’s earthquake was substantially smaller and there is currently no indication that it caused any damage along the Lincolnshire coast.

Anyone who believes they felt the tremor can submit a report through the British Geological Survey’s earthquake website.

The earthquake details are confirmed by the British Geological Survey’s current UK earthquake records.