Magnitude 4.7 quake shakes New Zealand

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has shaken New Zealand's lower North Island this morning, with thousands of people feeling the tremor.

The "moderate" earthquake hit at 5.18am 5km north of Upper Hutt at a depth of 24km, according to Geonet.

More than 10,000 people felt the shaking.

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One resident said on social media: "Upper Hutt just took a rockin'".

The majority of people reported the shaking as "light", while a small number have considered it "extreme".

This article originally appeared on Stuff and is republished here with permission.