Two earthquakes felt in France at opposite ends of country

An 3.7 magnitude earthquake hit the south-east of France on Monday (December 16) night, which was felt by some residents of the area. 

The epicentre of the quake, which hit around 22:20, was located around 30 km off the coast of Nice at a depth of 2km below sea level. 

This is very shallow for an earthquake and contributed to how many people felt it despite the distance from the coast and relatively low intensity.

The earthquake was felt by residents across towns in the Alpes-Maritimes department, as well as in Montauroux and Draguignan (Var) and Bordighera (across the Italian border). 

“My chair moved, the window shook, the whole family felt vibrations,” said one resident of Saint-Laurent-du-Var. 

“I am still in shock, the whole house shook. Fortunately the children were in bed,” said another from Carros, as reported by local media Nice Matin. 

A more powerful earthquake was recorded in the area earlier this year. 

Read more: 4.5-magnitude earthquake shakes Cannes and Nice

No damage was recorded from the quake last night.

Local firefighters confirmed they did not receive any callouts as a result of the tremors. 

Rare Normandy earthquake

It follows a rare 3.6 magnitude earthquake in Normandy on Sunday, December 8, which hit the Flers (Orne) area. 

Similarly to the earthquake in the south-east yesterday evening, the epicentre of the earthquake was shallow, at 5km below sea level. 

This means that, despite the low strength of the earthquake, it was felt by residents in the local area. No damage or injuries were caused by the Normandy earthquake.

Earthquakes are common in mainland France but are rarely felt due to their low strength and deep epicentres. 

Read more: MAP: 4,000 earthquakes a year in France

Read more: Which areas of France are most at risk from earthquakes?