Bath reacts to earthquake in Wales that caused the city to shake
Tremors were felt across the UK at around 2.30pm
The internet was thrown into a frenzy when Bath felt the impact of the biggest earthquake in over ten years today (February 17) when a 4.4 magnitude quake hit Swansea.
It’s believed that around ten million people in Britain felt the tremor which happened at 2.30pm and Bathonians took to social media to find out what caused the city to shake.
John Millican who lives in Combe Down said: “It happened at precisely 2.36pm.
“It felt like a shudder. It wasn’t a bang, it wasn’t was a gradual shudder.”
Shortly after the quake, which lasted for a couple of seconds, thousands of messages flooded onto Twitter.
Robin Mumme who lives in Gloucester Road said: “I was sat having lunch and all my tables and chairs shook.
“I went and checked the basement because I didn’t know what was happening.”
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Jean Bone from Oldfield Park added: “I thought somebody had come into the house.
“My daughters were sat on the settee and felt it move. It was shaking and moved forward.”
Grace Williams from The Little Theatre Cinema in St Michaels Place, said: “Myself and a colleague were in the office at the cinema when suddenly the office desks and sofa started shaking.
“We ran around the cinema checking everything was alright but no one on the lower floors felt it.
“I just chatted with some of the customers coming out of Phantom Thread in screen two - some thought that the people behind them were kicking their seat, others thought that the film downstairs was so loud it was shaking their seats from below.
“They were very glad to be told that it was a tremor and that it would be a cinema trip they’ll never forget!”
The tremor measuring 4.4 in magnitude hit at a depth of 7.4km according to seismologists and events of that magnitude only happen in the UK every three to five years.
The European-Mediterranean Seismology Centre, which is based in Paris, said it had received reports that the earthquake was felt in South Wales, South West England, the West Midlands and the North West.
The tremor caused windows to shatter in the Holiday Express Inn on Lower Bristol Road, but the emergency services said no major damage has been reported.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said: “The force incident manager said they have received a handful of calls after the earthquake.
“The fire service has received several calls about buildings being damaged.
“But so far there has been no reports of injuries resulting from this.”
A spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue Service also said they have received calls about buildings being damaged from the earthquake and have attended two to make sure they are safe.
The impact of the earthquake was felt by many people in the city.
Louise from Fairfield Park said: “While many people in Bath noticed furniture and wall hangings move during the shake, some said they were frightened and had never experienced an event like it in Bath before.
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“I was sat on the sofa working on my laptop with my puppy on my shoulder - the room shock hard the sofa moved vastly the puppy jumped up barked like mad - I checked the wall that the sofa is on thinking maybe it was the neighbours but on the far side of the room I have a crystal lamp and the crystals started moving and chiming with the movement.
“It was a scary moment.”
Paul Collins from Weston: “I was sat down on my sofa and at approximately 2.35pm the sofa started to shake and then the doors started to vibrate.
"My dog Cali started to bark I looked out of the window and the telegraph pole was shaking,
“It was quite scary, I have never experienced that before”
Helen Astil added: “I noticed the earthquake in Bath!
“I live in Odd Down and my bedroom chest of drawers and all the things on top of it rattled and I wondered what caused it, now I know!
“Fascinating.”
James Davies said he was concerned about living at the top of a historical Bath building.
“I thought that must have been an earthquake,” he wrote on Twitter.
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“Living at the top of a 200-year-old building I was quite alarmed a bit!”
For Swansea, today’s was the biggest to hit in more than a hundred years. In 1906 a 5.2 magnitude quake hit.
Seismologist Richard Luckett of British Geological Survey said it has been unusually long time since there was an earthquake like this in the UK.
"Usually, we would expect an earthquake like this at least every five years but it has been 10 years since the last one," said Mr Luckett.
"There is certainly no indication that the frequency of earthquakes in the UK is speeding up.
"The magnitude 4.4 earthquake in South Wales hit about 20 km NNE of Swansea.
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"This earthquake has been felt across a large area of Wales and England with the furthest reports so far from Birmingham and Devon.
"This is the largest earthquake in mainland UK since the 5.2 magnitude Market Rasen earthquake in 2008," he added.
Despite many people being concerned about the quake, some saw the funny side.
On Twitter, Brenna Cliff wrote: “Love that there was an actual earthquake and everyone I know shrugged it off as heavy-duty decorating.”
Roman Baths Kitchen have are even using today’s tremor as a way to attract more customers.
On Twitter, they wrote: “After the excitement of feeling a minor earthquake in Bat today customers are advised to come and relax and share their survival stories over a pint of cider.”
What caused the earthquake?
Movements within the Earth's crust cause stress to build up at points of weakness.
When the stress exceeds the strength of the rock, the rock fractures and the stored energy is suddenly released like a spring.
Intense vibrations or seismic waves spread out from the initial point of rupture, the focus, like ripples on a pond. These waves are what makes the ground shake and can travel large distances in all directions.
Near the epicentre, the waves can be very large, making them extremely destructive if there is enough energy released.
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