In the evening of Wednesday July 1st, 2026, a significant MAG-5.6 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 224 kilometer from Suva, Fiji. Roughly 20 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 126 kilometers (78 mi) off the coast of Fiji, 224 kilometer south of Suva in Central. The center of this earthquake had a deep depth of 537 km.
| Date and Time: | Jul 1, 2026 22:42 (Fiji Time) - Jul 1, 2026 10:42 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 224 km south of Suva, Central, Fiji. Coordinates 20°8'48"S 178°41'17"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.073 . |
| Depth: | 537 km (333 mi) A deep depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | III
Weak On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.
Roughly 20 thousand people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 20 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
Very weak shaking and no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 17,340 people. At II, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Fiji .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 490 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 17,340 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 0 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Fiji . Suva in Central, Fiji is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 224 kilometer (139 mi) south of Suva.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 224 km (139 mi) N from epicenter |
Suva Central, Fiji. |
| 293 km (182 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nadi Western, Fiji. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is II. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 1st, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 281 km (175 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on September 6th, 2018.
In total, 24 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 5 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 537 km (333 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 01/07/26 19:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000t9e1
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260701_0000158
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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