On Wednesday Afternoon a Shallow M5.6 Earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea 140km from Ishigaki (Japan).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 30th, 2026.

In the early afternoon of Wednesday September 30th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.6 earthquake hit in the Philippine Sea 140 kilometer from Ishigaki, Japan. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 4 thousand people. Taiwan is also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 102 kilometers (64 mi) off the coast of Japan, 140 kilometer southwest of Ishigaki in Okinawa. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 11 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Sep 30, 2026 13:00 (Taipei Time) - Sep 30, 2026 05:00 Universal Time.
Location:	197 km SE of Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan. Coordinates 23°48'10"N 122°54'54"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.6 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 .
Depth:	11 km (7 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 4 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 4 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 1,640 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 2 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Japan , around 4 thousand people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage).

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Taiwan and Japan are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.

Located 135 kilometer (84 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Hualien City (Hualien County, Taiwan) is the nearest significant population center.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Taipei is located 197 km to the northwest. Kaohsiung is located 297 km to the southwest. Taichung is located 230 km to the west.

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 11 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 11 people have reported shaking in 5 places, all within Taiwan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Yungho, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan: 6 people.
• Sanchung, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan: 2 people.
• Taichung, Taichung Shih, Taiwan: 1 person.
• Taipei, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan: 1 person.
• Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung Shih, Taiwan: 1 person.

Risk of aftershocks?

We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

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.

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 May 1st, 2026, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 148 km (92 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on April 2nd, 2024.

In total, 42 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 3 months.

Low tsunami risk

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 30/09/26 11:08 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tyhk
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260930_0000048
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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