The United Kingdom was hit by a minor earthquake on February 27, 2008 at 00:56:45 UTC. Tremors were reported as wide spread as Edinburgh, Manchester, Sheffield, Middlesbrough, Cambridge, London, Birmingham and Southampton * “USGS Community Internet Intensity Map”. USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, 27 February 2008
The epicenter appears to be in the East Midlands region, 15 miles north-east of Lincoln co-ordinates 53.321°N, 0.314°W, with a magnitude of 4.9 according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center, 5.0 according to the GFZ Potsdam and 5.2 according to the British Geological Survey. As such it was similar or stronger than the 2002 earthquake centered on Dudley which was recorded as being 4.8, and caused damage to buildings.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake was 4.7 in the order of magnitude.
It has been reported that a number of buildings have been damaged and a man in South Yorkshire suffered a broken pelvis caused by falling masonry.
Strong earthquakes are relatively infrequent occurrences in the UK, the last widely-reported quake having occurred in Kent on April 28, 2007.
