Houses shaken as earthquake hits Crawley area

Startled residents reported that ‘everything moved forwards and backwards’ when the quake struck at 7.43am.

The British Geological Survey, which monitors quakes around the world, said that a 2.4 magnitude tremor struck an area around Dorking in Surrey, Gatwick, Horley, Burstow and Smallfield. Residents in Langley Green also say they felt the tremor.

A spokesman for the Survey said: “The BGS have received several reports, mainly from the RH5 and RH6 postcode areas, Surrey and a few from Crawley, West Sussex, of this event being felt.

“Typical reports described ‘furniture shook very gently’, ‘everything moved forwards then backwards’, ‘a loud bang and strong impact and shake as though something had fallen on the house’ and ‘general rumble that lasted for a couple of seconds’.”

The quake is the first to hit the region this year following seven quakes in the area over a four-month period last summer. The first earthquake ever recorded in the area was reported on Easter Sunday 2018 where 2.7 magnitude tremors shook houses in Horsham and Crawley.

A 2.6 magnitude quake hit the Newdigate area again on June 27 followed by a 2.4 magnitude tremor two days later. Two more - measuring 3 and 1.9 in magnitude - were then recorded on July 5 and 10 respectively, days before two further quakes.