Click to play videoManchester: The strongest earthquake in last 25 years shook Britain on early Wednesday. The 5.2 magnitude quake caused damages in major parts of Britain resulting in loss of property worth over £10 million.
However, no causalities have been reported so far.
Emergency services across England received calls following the incident, many from people who woke up to find their homes shaking.
The British Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake was near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire about 125 miles (200 km) north of London.
Julian Bukits of the British Geological Survey called it the most powerful quake in Britain since a 5.4 temblor hit North Wales in 1984.
"This was a very large earthquake in UK terms, but in world terms average," Bukits said. "This one has been felt throughout the whole of England and southern Scotland."
Many people across the region — unaccustomed to such quakes — reported feeling their homes shaken.
"It was scary," David Somerset said from Driffield, around 60 miles (90 km) from the epicentre. He was working on the computer at the time.
"It was a strange sensation as the room, ornaments and chest of drawers started wobbling and making a loud rumbling noise," he said.
Lincolnshire police said they had received dozens of phone calls about the temblor and that some minor damage to homes had been reported.
"This is a moderate earthquake," Rafael Abreu of the US Geological Survey told Sky News from the United States.
He described the tremor as a shallow interplate earthquake. He said his US-based group initially put the magnitude at 4.7 but would likely adopt the 5.3-magnitude rating from his British counterparts.
Bukits said Britain is hit annually with about 200 quakes but only 10 per cent are strong enough to be felt. A quake of magnitude 5 is capable of causing considerable damage.
The epicentre was in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire, a small market town known for its racecourse, the US Survey said.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
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