Residents across Hong Kong reported brief shaking late on Saturday night, with more than 100 felt reports received by the Hong Kong Observatory. The tremor lasted a few seconds and was assessed at Intensity II on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.
The Observatory said the shaking was caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck offshore south-east of Taipei at 11:05 pm on 27 December 2025. The epicentre was about 70 kilometres south-east of Taipei and roughly 850 kilometres east-north-east of Hong Kong, at a depth of around 60 kilometres.
Hong Kong has experienced similar locally felt earthquakes in recent years. In March 2022, a magnitude 4.1 earthquake off the coast of Huizhou was felt across the city, causing doors and windows to rattle in several districts.
Overall, Hong Kong is considered a low to moderate earthquake risk area. The 1918 Shantou earthquake remains the only known event to have caused damage in Hong Kong, reaching an estimated Intensity VII on the Modified Mercalli scale.
Header Image Credit: Google Earth
