Three earthquakes hit UK as 'loud bangs' shake houses and wake residents
Three earthquakes hit Scotland today, leaving homes shaking from the tremors. Residents reported they woke from their sleep when the multiple earthquakes struck.
The first took place just after at 3.03am and hit 2.2 on the Richter scale - the scale used to measure the strength of seismic events. Further tremors were recorded at 8.09am and 8.27am, according to the British Geological Survey's earthquake seismology team.
All the incidents took place in Argyll and Bute. Residents living in the seaside town of Oban and surrounding areas said they were awoken by 'loud bangs'.
READ MORE: ITV Coronation Street icon Dev Alahan 'to leave cobbles for sad reason'
Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here.
The first tremor was three miles east of Oban, at Glenlonan, the Daily Record reports. Dozens of residents took to social media to share their experience of the seismic activity.
The second measured at 1.6 and 0.5 on the Richter scale. It was felt on the Isle of Kerrera, which is abut a mile from Oban.
It was also felt as far away as the Isles of Seil and Mull and village of Kilchrenan - which are all about ten miles from the town, in opposite directions. One person said: "Did anyone else just hear/feel a rumble? About 3am."
A resident replied: "House shook and then I heard rumble noise. 3.03." Another said: "Yes, Longsdale Road 3.03am. loud rumble and house was creaking."
Another person commented: "I didn’t, but the dog woke me up whining just after 3 so he probably did! And I heard a boom around 8am." While a fifth said: "Yip. Woke me back of 3am here on the Isle of Seil - lasted good few seconds.
"Also felt more of a boom back of 8am - read that one was likely to have been an aftershock." One person said: "Yes I did. And again at 8 o'clock."
A resident added: "Yes, and again at around 08.10 this morning." Another wrote: "Yes on mull." While another person posted: "Yip, house shook at 0304, woke me up."
One person said they also felt the tremor and commented: "Yes also felt and heard on Kerrera around 3am." While one persons said: "Yes heard it but didn’t feel anything."
Callum Harrison, seismologist at the British Geological Survey, said: "At 3.03am on Wednesday, February 5 there was a 2.2 magnitude earthquake 5km east of Oban, within the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland."