In the Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Basin 153 kilometer from Irákleion, Greece, a significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in the evening of Monday November 2nd, 2026. Türkiye is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Basin, 67 kilometers (42 mi) off the coast of Greece, 153 kilometer south-east of Irákleion in Crete. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 49 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 2, 2026 18:49 (Athens Time) - Nov 2, 2026 16:49 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 153 km SE of Irákleion, Crete, Greece. Coordinates 34°28'51"N 26°28'10"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 240 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.038 . |
| Depth: | 49 km (30 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Greece and Türkiye are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Irákleion in Crete, Greece. Irákleion is located 153 kilometer (95 mi) south-east of the epicenter.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 153 km (95 mi) NW from epicenter |
Irákleion Crete, Greece. |
| 206 km (128 mi) NW from epicenter |
Rethymno Crete, Greece. |
| 250 km (155 mi) NW from epicenter |
Chaniá Crete, Greece. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ródos South Aegean, Greece. |
| 278 km (173 mi) N from epicenter |
Kos South Aegean, Greece. |
| 291 km (181 mi) N from epicenter |
Turgutreis Muğla, Türkiye. |
| 297 km (185 mi) N from epicenter |
Bodrum Muğla, Türkiye. |
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 3 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 5 sec earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
1 day earlier Nov 1, 2026 10:29 (Athens Time) | 50 km (31 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
8 hrs earlier Nov 2, 2026 10:59 (Athens Time) | 18 km (11 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.1 |
5 sec earlier Nov 2, 2026 18:49 (Athens Time) | 28 km (18 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Nov 2, 2026 18:49 (Athens Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 July 2nd, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 112 km (69 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on July 20th, 2017.
In total, 38 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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
| 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 49 km (30 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 02/11/26 19:48 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000tuxy
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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