'I heard that one coming' - Short sharp earthquake jolts Wellington

Wellingtonians winding down from the weekend have been rattled this evening after a "short and sharp" 3.8 magnitude earthquake.

It struck just after 7.00pm tonight, centred 30km south-west of the capital city.

Many took to Twitter to share their post-quake jitters, some saying they heard the quake before they felt it.

"Eek! I heard that one coming before the house shook!" one Twitter user wrote.

The earthquake was centred at a depth of 13km in the middle of the Cook Strait.

Well over 2,300 people reported feeling the quake on GeoNet, with many reporting a weak to light shaking.

It comes after a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, centred north of French Pass, struck yesterday afternoon.