Leighton Buzzard earthquake: Bedfordshire town hit by third tremor in two weeks

‘What fresh hell is this, 2020?’ asks resident as 3.0-magnitude earthquake hits Bedfordshire town

A 3.0-magnitude earthquake struck just north of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, around 9.30am on Tuesday, 22 September 2020 (British Geological Survey)

The town of Leighton Buzzard has been hit by its third earthquake in two weeks, with residents claiming their houses “shook once again” around 9.30am on Tuesday.

The tremor was a magnitude 3.0 with a depth of 10km (6.2 miles) and hit north of Leighton Buzzard, in Bedfordshire, according to provisional details from the British Geological Survey.

The town felt its first earthquake, which had a magnitude 3.5, this month on 8 September and its second less than a week later on 13 September. The first was also felt in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, and Milton Keynes and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. The second earthquake was significantly weaker, with a 2.1 magnitude.

Tuesday’s earthquake was six times smaller than the event on 8 September, a spokesperson for the British Geological Survey told The Independent.

Residents appeared confused and alarmed about the tremors, taking to social media to report their experiences on Tuesday morning.

One person tweeted: “Third earthquake in Leighton Buzzard in as many weeks. What fresh hell is this, 2020??”

Another pointed out the quake was felt around 9.35am, whilst the first tremors two weeks ago occurred at 9.45am, and wondered: “Is there any fracking going on, or is this just a coincidence?!”

The British Geological Survey tweeted: “We’re receiving reports about the earthquake, which followed previous events in the same area on 8 and 13 September, with magnitudes 3.5 and 2.1.

“Reports describe ‘only lasted a couple of seconds’ and ‘just felt a single jolt, a bit like being in a car that has done an emergency stop!’.”