HOMES across Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire shook this afternoon as the region was hit with a 4.9 magnitude earthquake.

The earthquake measured slight to moderate on the Richter csale.

When an earthquake registers between 5 and 5.9 on the Richter scale it can cause slight damage to buildings and other structures.

There are about 500 of these around the globe every year, but the United Kingdom only experiences earthquakes of this magnitude around every 3-5 years.

Residents took to social media after feeling the shake as windows and even whole buildings felt the vibrations, with reports coming from across the region South West and Wales region.

Helen Griffiths of Stroud told the SNJ about her experience of the tremors in Stonehouse: "I was at my brothers house, the cat suddenly woke up with the look of fear in his eyes.

"I noticed that the lampshade was shaking, we felt our chairs shaking too and wondered if it was the deep rumble of a freight train going by.

"It turns out it was actually an earthquake!" She explained.

According to seismic measuring website emsc-csem.org, the origin of the quake was in Neath, near Swansea.

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire police said that they had received numerous reports of tremors following the quake, but knew of no incidences of damage or injury.

The British Geological Survey has also said it is investigating the tremor.

A number of homes were without power for a short amount of time in South Gloucestershire.