An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 struck in the English Channel on Thursday, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has reported. The quake had a depth of 10km and its epicentre was south of Portsmouth.
Residents in parts of West Sussex reported buildings shaking for a few seconds at 7.59 am. In particular, several residents in Worthing, West Sussex, are reported to have felt the tremors, but it would seem that there were no injuries as a result.
Small earthquakes are not entirely uncommon in Britain. David Kerridge, from the BGS explained that "In the UK, we experience a earthquake of this magnitude approximately every two years." However, he also reported that it was the most serious in the area for nearly 300 years, since a magnitude 4.5 quake in 1734.