Victoria earthquake: Magnitude 4.8 tremor wakes Melbourne and Gippsland

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has rattled Victoria in the early hours of Saturday morning, shaking buildings in Melbourne and waking thousands of residents across the state.

The tremor struck at 2:01am on Saturday, 3 October 2026. According to Geoscience Australia, the epicentre was located at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres near the South Gippsland towns of Korumburra and Leongatha, roughly 100 to 135 kilometres south-east of Melbourne.

It is the largest earthquake to hit the state in three years, since a magnitude 5.9 quake in September 2021 damaged buildings in Melbourne and was felt across south-eastern Australia.

Shaken awake across the state

Geoscience Australia received more than 16,000 "felt reports" from the public within an hour of the shake. Residents from Melbourne's western suburb of Newport to Whittlesea in the north-east reported being woken by the vibrations.

In the Melbourne suburb of Armadale, Michelle Wade said she woke up to her apartment building and bed swaying. "I could hear things falling down hitting the apartment floor above me," she said. "It definitely took me a while to settle my nerves."

In Caulfield South, Jane Barnes said she initially thought possums were running on her roof until the floor began to shake beneath her. "The windows shook and the whole house creaked. I couldn't sleep after that one," she said.

Closer to the epicentre, Korumburra local Jason Kelly said he heard a "massive bang" while preparing for work. "I thought there was an explosion but then I realised it was probably an earthquake," he said. He added that the actual shaking lasted only about two seconds and was far less severe than previous quakes in the region.

Seismologists warn of aftershocks

Geoscience Australia seismologist Dr Hadi Ghasemi said the event was one of the strongest the regional area has experienced in two decades. While the shaking was widely felt, Dr Ghasemi said he did not expect any major structural damage.

The Victoria State Emergency Service (SES) confirmed they had received no immediate calls for assistance or reports of building damage. The Bureau of Meteorology also confirmed there was no tsunami threat.

However, experts warn that seismic activity in the region is likely to continue. Seismology Research Centre chief scientist Adam Pascale said he had already recorded dozens of minor aftershocks, including a magnitude 3.1 tremor at 2:56am.

"I can see [aftershocks] popping off every couple of minutes and they’ll probably go on for weeks," Pascale said. He added that there remains a potential for another shock of a similar or potentially larger magnitude over the coming days or weeks.

The SES has advised residents to remain calm but prepared for further tremors. "If you felt the earthquake, stay calm, check for hazards, and be prepared for further possible aftershocks," the agency said in a statement, reminding people to drop, cover, and hold if shaking begins again.