Almost 3,000 Kiwis report feeling 4.7 magnitude earthquake in central NZ

Almost 3,000 Kiwis in the upper South Island and lower North Island have reported feeling an earthquake that struck just before 8pm today.

Geonet says the 7:51pm quake struck 20 kilometres approximately 100km south of Nelson at a magnitude of 4.7.

It was 57km deep.

Geonet said 2,700 people had reported the tremor within 10 minutes. A majority of the reports experienced "weak" shaking.