Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake Rattles Victoria And Melbourne In Strongest Seismic Event In Three Years

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake jolted millions of residents across Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne in the early hours of Saturday morning, October 3, 2026.

According to official data published by Geoscience Australia, the shallow seismic event occurred at approximately 2.01 a.m. local time at a depth of roughly 10 kilometers.

The epicenter was pinpointed near Arrawadah and Leongatha in the South Gypsland region, located approximately 130 kilometers southeast of Melbourne.

The late-night quake sent strong tremors radiating across regional Victoria and throughout Melbourne's eastern, southern, and western suburbs, waking residents from their sleep and marking the state's strongest earthquake in nearly three years.

Within hours of the main shock, Geoscience Australia received more than 16,000 individual felt reports.