Two earthquakes have shaken the North Island and Nelson region this afternoon.

The first, an earthquake of 4.8 magnitude, shook Nelson and Wellington at 3.58pm.



The tremor was centred 160km north-west of Wellington in the South Taranaki Bight - the large bay off the west coast of the lower North Island - at a depth of 180km, GNS Science reported.

Meanwhile, a 4.0 earthquake shook parts of the central North Island just a few minutes later.

The quake, at 4.04pm, was centred 10km north-east of Turangi, at a depth of 4km, GNS Science said.

It was felt throughout the central North Island.