More than 200 aftershocks have been recorded after an earthquake struck Hawke's Bay yesterday morning.
The quake, which was felt by more than 20,000 people across the North Island, was located near Pōrangahau.
The 5.9 magnitude jolt, at a depth of 22km, left some with a messy cleanup.
GNS Science told 1News 226 aftershocks had occurred since the 10.16am quake. The largest one was a 5.4 which hit three minutes after the main jolt.
GNS Science duty seismologist Katie Jacobs told 1News the number of aftershocks was typical for quakes of this magnitude.
Jacobs pointed out the area — along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone — does experience frequent earthquake activity.
She explained the Hikurangi Subduction Zone drives much of the earthquake activity along the East Coast of the North Island.
The region also experiences slow slip events, earthquakes that happen very slowly which are not felt, and with energy that is released over weeks to months.
"We can expect more shaking in the coming weeks to months, decreasing over time," Jacobs said.
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