The National Geographic Institute (IGN) recorded an earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale in the Atlantic, south of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, early Monday. The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere reported that the earthquake had its epicenter in the sea near Lisbon, about 60 kilometers west of Sines, itself located about 90 kilometers south of the capital.
The Spanish organization said the earthquake occurred at 6:11 a.m. (Spanish mainland time, one hour behind in Portugal) at a depth of 19 kilometers, according to the revised calculation published on its website.
The earthquake was also felt in several regions of Spain, including Huelva, and in Morocco. In total, seven autonomous communities felt the earthquake, according to the National Geographic Institute (IGN) on its website. The 112 Emergency Coordination Center of Andalusia registered more than fifteen calls from people who alerted early in the morning of this earthquake, especially from Huelva, although there was no evidence of personal or material damage, as reported by an EFE spokesperson.
Seven communities reported earthquake in Spain
In Galicia, the effects of the earthquake were seen in the provinces of Orense, Pontevedra and La Coruña. Concretely, it was observed with greater intensity (grade III), although weakly, in the towns of Pontevedra d’Arcade (Sotomayor), Vilasobroso (Mondariz), Cristiñade and Urcela (Ponteareas), Oia (San Miguel) , Rebordans (San Bartolomeu). , Saiáns (San Xurxo), Paredes and A Guarda (Santa María). In Orense, O Irixo was felt and in La Coruña, Padrón.
Extremadura was another of the communities where the earthquake was felt most and with greater intensity (grade III), especially in La Zarza, Puebla de la Reina, Villafranca de los Barros, Olivenza, La Albuera, Barcarrota in Badajoz. Cities in Cáceres also felt the earthquake, although in grade II, such as Trujillo, Arroyo de la Luz or Casar de Cáceres, among others.
In Andalusia, the greatest effects of the earthquake in Portugal were felt in Huelva, in the area closest to the Portuguese border, especially in Jabugo, Cortegana, Aroche, Villablanca, Cartaya, San Juan del Puerto, Lepe, Almonte, San Juan del Puerto and Aljaraque, all in class III. To the same extent, they felt the effects in Carrión de los Céspedes (Seville).
At level II, effects have also been felt in the province of Cádiz, in cities such as Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Rota, Puerto Real and the capital of Cádiz, among others. In the capital of Malaga, this situation has also been slightly felt, as in Jaén and Granada, as well as in the Cordovan towns of Alameda del Obispo, Hornachuelos and Montilla.
In Castile and Leon, the Leonese municipalities of Ponferrada and Aldeatejada de Salamanca recorded a grade III. And, in class II, this was felt in Zamora and the capital Segovia. And, in Castilla La Mancha, also in class II in the capital Ciudad Real and in the city of Puertollano.
In Asturias, the earthquake was felt in Gijón at grade II and in the Madrid city of Torrelaguna.
According to the IGN, in grade II, the tremor is felt only in an isolated manner by people in a particularly receptive position within buildings on which it has no effect. In the case of grade III, the seismic movement is felt inside buildings, where people at rest perceive a swaying or a slight tremor and suspended objects oscillate slightly. No damage has been reported either.
No damage was reported in the Portuguese epicenter either.
According to the available information, it did not cause any personal or material damage and was felt with maximum intensity IV/V (modified Mercalli scale) in the Sines region and with lesser intensity in the Lisbon and Setúbal regions.
The national commander of the Portuguese Civil Protection, André Fernandes, explained in a press conference that the authorities have entered the “monitoring phase” of the situation, while ensuring that this earthquake “does not meet the criteria for activating existing special plans.” for this type of event.
These plans are activated when tremors of magnitude 6.1 or greater are recorded, so a tremor of magnitude 5.3 is “a perfectly normal situation for the operational response and support capability,” according to the commander.
After the earthquake, three aftershocks were felt, one measuring 1.2, the second measuring 1.1 and the third measuring 0.9. Fernandes ruled out the risk of a tsunami. “We continue to monitor the situation and, if warranted, we will issue new advisories,” he said.
Portuguese President Marcelo de Sousa today called a meeting with the interim prime minister, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, to analyze the situation.
