Live earthquake check
Earthquakes near Soweto today
Updated
No M2.5+ earthquake within 100 km of Soweto in the last 24 hours None in the past 30 days either.
Was there an earthquake in Soweto just now? This page checks the live USGS catalogue for quakes around Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa and updates every few minutes.
- Last 24 hours
- 0 M2.5+ within 100 km
- Last 7 days
- 0 M2.5+ within 100 km
- Last 30 days
- 0 M2.5+ within 100 km
- Largest in 30 days
- — none within 100 km
- Largest in past year
- M4.2 132 km SW, Feb 8, 2026
- Past year count
- 2 M2.5+ within 150 km
- Nearest in 30 days
- 129 km M3.6, Oct 7, 2026
Recent earthquakes near Soweto
No earthquake of magnitude 2.5 or more was located within 100 km of Soweto in the past 30 days. Between 100 and 150 km out there was 1, the closest M3.6 at 129 km SW.
| Time (Soweto) | UTC | Magnitude | Distance | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 14:35 | Oct 7, 12:35 UTC | M3.6 | 129 km SW | 5 km | 17 km E of Orkney, South Africa |
M2.5+ within 150 km, past 30 days, newest first. Times in Africa/Johannesburg.
Largest earthquakes near Soweto in the past year
The strongest earthquake within 150 km of Soweto in the past 12 months was M4.2 on Feb 8, 2026, 132 km SW of the city (10 km E of Orkney, South Africa).
With 2 M2.5+ earthquakes in a year (about 0.2 a month), the area around Soweto is occasionally active by global standards. 0 of the ten largest reached M4.5, the level at which damage near the epicentre becomes possible.
| Date | Magnitude | Distance | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 8, 2026 | M4.2 | 132 km SW | 5 km | 10 km E of Orkney, South Africa |
| Oct 7, 2026 | M3.6 | 129 km SW | 5 km | 17 km E of Orkney, South Africa |
Was it felt in Soweto?
USGS "Did You Feel It?" received reports for 1 of these quakes: M3.6 on Oct 7, 2026 (1 reports, max intensity 3.4).
If you felt shaking, you can report it to USGS; reports refine the intensity map within minutes.
Tsunami warning status
None of the earthquakes near Soweto in the past year carried the USGS tsunami flag, which USGS sets for large quakes in oceanic regions where the tsunami warning centres issue messages.
Official tsunami warnings come from the NOAA tsunami warning centres (tsunami.gov) and national agencies; follow local authorities if you are on a coast after strong shaking.
Earthquakes around the world today
Worldwide, USGS listed 145 earthquakes of M1+ in the last 24 hours; the largest was M6.5 Bonin Islands, Japan region.
USGS lists every magnitude in the United States but outside it coverage is complete only from about M4–4.5, so smaller local quakes reported by national agencies may be missing. Magnitudes and locations are revised for hours after an event.
Earthquakes near other cities in South Africa and nearby
Earthquake pages
More live data for Soweto
Data: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program (ComCat), GeoNames (cities, CC BY 4.0).