A 3.4 magnitude earthquake struck Sydney's southwest on Friday afternoon, with hundreds of residents reporting they felt the ground shake. The tremor was recorded just after 1 p.m. local time at a depth of 3 kilometers, according to Geoscience Australia. As of Friday evening, more than 500 people had reported feeling the earthquake.
Residents described the experience in various ways. One woman in Harrington Park reported that the quake was strong enough to move her lounge away from her window while she was sitting on it. She stated, "The house shook bad but it felt like a wave that moved from the back of my house towards the front. The dogs all were going off. Windows shook. It only lasted for about 10 seconds at most though."
Another resident in Spring Farm described a similar experience, saying, "Was like a gust of wind went through the house making a rumbling noise. House shook for about 5 secs or so. Sofa shook. Heard house make loud creak." Others reported hearing loud noises, with one person saying, "Felt like something heavy hit my roof. The sound was loud!"
The earthquake was felt in several southwestern suburbs, including Mount Annan, Holsworthy, and Gregory Hills. Earthquakes of this magnitude typically do not cause injuries or widespread damage.