A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck near Silverdale in Lancashire late Wednesday night, rattling homes across Lancashire and Cumbria and marking the strongest quake in England for two years. Tremors were felt up to 30 miles away, including in Blackpool, shortly after 11.23pm.
Residents described houses shaking and windows rattling, with some saying it felt like an “underground explosion”. Emergency services received numerous calls, though police reported no injuries or significant damage.
The British Geological Survey confirmed it was England’s strongest quake since a similar 3.3 event in Staffordshire in 2023. While the UK experiences 200–300 quakes annually, only around 10% are strong enough to be felt.
Reports from towns including Carnforth detailed light shaking, startled pets, and triggered shop alarms. A pub landlord said glasses rattled behind the bar, while a Silverdale parish councillor said it felt as though her house was “disintegrating”, prompting neighbours to rush outside.
Quakes of this size occur only a few times a year in the UK, with the last stronger one—a 3.7—hitting Morecambe Bay in 2009.
