View 3 Images

An earthquake rattled homes across northwest England last night, sparking dozens of reports from startled residents. The British Geological Survey (BGS) confirmed the 3.3-magnitude tremor struck at 11.23pm (December 3).

The quake was recorded off the coast of Silverdale , near Carnforth in Lancashire, at a depth of 1.86 miles. Tremors felt in Lancashire and the Lake District, with reports as far far south as Blackpool and Cleveleys.

A tremor between magnitude 3.0-3.9 is defined as 'weak' on the Richter scale - and police confirmed that no injuries or damage as a result of the earthquake have been reported.

But how strong can earthquakes get in the UK - and what's the highest magnitude quake ever recorded here? View 3 Images

Dogger Bank earthquake

On June 7, 1931

See Full Page