A powerful earthquake measuring 5.5 magnitude struck off the coast of southern Spain at 7:13am this morning, shaking more than 50 towns across Andalusia and sending tremors as far as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
The quake, recorded by Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN), occurred at a shallow depth of just two kilometres below the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 34 kilometres from Níjar in Almería province. The shallow depth amplified the tremor’s impact, causing it to be felt more strongly across the region than a deeper earthquake of similar magnitude.
Emergency services in Andalusia received 25 calls from the public – 20 from Almería, four from Granada and one from Jaén, according to Spanish newspaper El País. Despite the earthquake’s strength and widespread impact, authorities have reported no injuries or structural damage thus far.
Widespread Impact Across Andalusia
The tremor reached an intensity of IV or V on the European Macroseismic Scale, meaning “widely observed” to “strong”, according to the IGN. In such cases, shaking is clearly felt indoors, hanging objects swing noticeably and people may be woken from sleep.
The earthquake’s impact was primarily felt in the provinces of Granada, Málaga and Jaén, as well as in the eastern provinces of Murcia, Alicante and Albacete. The popular Costa del Sol area, home to thousands of British expatriates and tourists, experienced significant shaking.
“I was sleeping, and the whole house shook for a few seconds,” a tourist in the coastal town of Agua Amarga in Almería told El País. “There was an incredible roar. It woke up my entire family and our neighbours in the complex.”
Social media platforms were quickly flooded with reports from residents and tourists who felt the tremor. One person wrote on Facebook: “Just felt the tremors of an earthquake off the coast of Almeria. Reports say 5.2 magnitude. It woke me up. Bed shaking and we are 100 kilometres from its centre. Scary.”
Multiple Agencies Confirm Magnitude
Initial reports from various seismological agencies showed slight variations in the earthquake’s magnitude. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported it as magnitude 5.2, whilst the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) confirmed similar readings.
Spain’s Instituto Geográfico Nacional later confirmed the magnitude at 5.5, with the epicentre located in the Western Mediterranean, 65 kilometres southeast of Almería. The agency noted that the quake’s shallow depth of 3 kilometres caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicentre.
“The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicentre than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would,” reported VolcanoDiscovery, a seismic monitoring service.
Residents Describe Frightening Experience
Accounts from across the affected region painted a picture of widespread alarm as the early morning tremor caught residents off guard. “Felt this way up in Granada, where I woke up early today wondering why my bed was rocking back and forth,” wrote another person on social media.
A third person posted on an expatriate group: “Who felt the earth quake this morning at 7.10am? It was the biggest one in 23 years in Almeria.”
The earthquake was reportedly felt in several coastal towns, including Cartagena, Mazarrón, and Vera, where residents reported light shaking and rattling furniture. In Níjar, located 45 kilometres from the epicentre, and Almería city, with a population of 190,000, the tremor was particularly noticeable.
Emergency Alert System Activated
A mobile alert was reportedly sent to residents in Almería and Granada, warning of the earthquake and providing safety instructions. The alert advised residents on post-earthquake precautions, including wearing shoes before moving around – even indoors – and checking for gas leaks.
The warning also cautioned that aftershocks were possible, though none of significant magnitude had been reported by Monday afternoon. Emergency services urged the public to remain calm but alert, particularly given the region’s seismic profile.
“Emergency services received calls from concerned residents, but no structural damage has been identified and there were no injuries,” authorities confirmed. Local officials have begun preliminary assessments of buildings and infrastructure in the most affected areas.
Region’s Seismic History
The Mediterranean area along the coasts of Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Italy lies on a complex fault system between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, causing minor earthquakes to occur frequently. The southeast of the Iberian Peninsula sits on this fault line, making occasional moderate-to-strong quakes not uncommon.
Spain’s most devastating earthquake in recent history occurred on 21 March 1829, when a powerful quake estimated at magnitude 6.6 struck near Torrevieja in Alicante province. That disaster left over 400 dead and prompted major changes in building codes and urban planning in the area.
More recently, on 25 January 2016, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 136 kilometres south-southeast of Málaga at a depth of 12 kilometres. It remains the strongest earthquake to hit the region in the past decade.
Statistical Context
According to seismological data, the Almería region experiences relatively few earthquakes compared to other seismically active areas. On average, the area records approximately 391 earthquakes per year, with only 0.15 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher occurring annually – roughly one every 6.7 years.
This morning’s earthquake was the strongest recorded in Spain so far in 2025, surpassing a magnitude 4.1 tremor that struck western Andalusia in February. The region typically experiences about 8.4 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or higher per year.
Seismologists note that clusters of low-to-moderate activity often occur in this region and are typically harmless, but they reflect long-standing tectonic tensions between the converging plates.
Aftershock Warning
Experts from IGN continue to monitor the situation for potential aftershocks. The institute warned that whilst today’s event was far less severe than historical disasters, it serves as a reminder of the region’s seismic vulnerability, particularly as urban development continues along the coast.
“Seismologists are continuing to monitor the situation for aftershocks,” officials stated, adding that residents should remain prepared for possible secondary tremors in the coming days.
The earthquake’s timing, striking during the peak summer tourist season, has raised concerns among local tourism officials. However, with no damage reported and normal activities resuming quickly, authorities expect minimal impact on the region’s vital tourism industry.
As southern Spain recovers from this morning’s shake-up, the event underscores the importance of earthquake preparedness in a region where tectonic forces continue to shape both the landscape and the lives of its residents.
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Castillo de Vélez-Málaga – Photo by Anual, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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