Earthquake rocks CORNWALL - Stunned locals say 2.7 shock felt 'like an avalanche!'
Residents in Cornwall were left shocked when an earthquake shook the area 'like an explosion or avalanche' overnight
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Residents in Cornwall were left shocked when an earthquake shook the area "like an explosion or avalanche" overnight.
Seismologists at the British Geological Survey recorded the 2.7 magnitude quake at 12.50am.
The epicentre was in the Mounts bay area, however the tremors were felt from St Just in north Cornwall to Redruth.
The quake was within what is expected for the area and is one of many which rock the UK every year, experts have said.
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"There was a rumbling, like thunder and the house shook for about two or three seconds," Linda Dwan, from Mousehole in south Cornwall told the BBC.
"It felt like an explosion or an avalanche.
"My glass ornaments were shaking in the window."
Dr David Hawthorn, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey, added: "We have 2-300 quakes a year, but about 30 are felt and this was at the lower end of those quakes.
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"This was quite small by global standards.
"In the UK we have a phenomenally complicated geology and that's particularly true in Cornwall and sooner or later that stress weakens and we get an earthquake."
The expert has called for anyone affected to get in touch.
He said: "We are still getting data in, so please give us a description because we want to know how much it shakes the ground in any given location."
Britain experiences around 200 to 300 earthquakes each year, but only 20 or 30 are typically felt by humans.
Hawthorn said quakes with a magnitude of three or greater typically occur once every two years.
He added that it was “very common” for people to report hearing earthquakes in comparison to feeling them.