Image copyright British Geological Survey Image caption A seismometer shows the earth's movements on Saturday afternoon

A minor earthquake with a 4.4 magnitude has affected parts of Wales and England.

The quake was felt over all of Wales, most of western England, as far east as London and as far north as the southern edge of the Lake District, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said.

The epicentre was approximately 20km north-north-east of Swansea and at a depth of 7.4km, it added.

There have been no reports of serious damage or injuries.

Events of this magnitude happen in the UK every three to five years, the BGS said.

Roger Musson, from the BGS, said it was the largest earthquake in mainland Britain for the last 10 years - since one with a magnitude of 5.2 struck in 2008 in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.

He said it was "relatively shallow" for a larger British earthquake. They are usually around 15-20km deep.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "The whole building shook": Roxanne Woolhouse describes the tremor

Dyfed Powys Police force said it had received "an extremely high volume" of calls relating to tremors.

South Wales Police urged the public to avoid calling the emergency services unless it was to report damage or injuries.

The tremors caused play to be held up at a Welsh Football League match at Port Talbot, 10 miles from Swansea, as the town's team faced Taff's Well.

A tweet from Port Talbot's Twitter account said: "Temporary stop in play. A recorded earthquake in the area. Incredible."

Steven Clathworthy, who lives near Bridgend, south Wales, said he heard a bang and the settee moved.

"All the neighbours were out asking 'what's happening?'" he said.

Image copyright US Geological Survey

Bryan Jones, 72, of Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taff, said: "It was like a tremor but it was quite frightening for my granddaughter - she swore a little bit and my wife got up asking 'What was that?'"

'The walls cracked'

Vera Sanderberg, from Croyde in north Devon, said she felt her house shake.

"The neighbour's horses bolted," she said.

"It was just a split second. We can't see anything damaged."

In Cheltenham, Paul Samway said it felt like "a washing machine breaking down".

"We heard the walls crack and there was a bit of juddering," he added.

"We thought nothing of it until we saw reports from other people on social media."

Image caption The epicentre was approximately 20km north-north-east of Swansea in south Wales

Louise Craig, from Connah's Quay in north Wales, said it was "the most excitement I've had on a Saturday afternoon for a while".

"I get a lot of fat wood pigeons jumping up and down on my chimney and I first of all thought the noise was them but they must have put on a heck a lot of weight to make the house shake," she told the BBC.

Donna Johnson in Caerphilly said she was "really scared".

"The house started rocking, and I said, 'oh my god the house is falling down'. We have a bungalow, and there is risk of subsidence here," she told the BBC.

"I ran outside - I was shaking like a leaf... The cat went outside before me, so she must have known."

Sue Field in Shifnal, Shropshire, said she felt the tremors from her armchair.

"I thought I'd had one too many wines for my birthday lunch," she said.</s>Swansea City, sitting bottom of the Premier League, had just sacked Paul Clement a few days before and were staring relegation in the face.

Carlos Carvalhal, who had recently parted company with struggling Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, was the surprising new man at the helm.

The Portuguese had driven through the night from Yorkshire to make it down to Fairwood to take training and meet the media.

It was a whirlwind 72 hours for all concerned .

His first interview, on reflection, makes for very interesting reading now , especially considering the impact he has had at the Liberty in such a short space of time.

It was almost prophetic...

What he said:

“I think we have good players. We have players with quality who can score goals and create chances.

“There is no magic – things will not change in a few days. But we need to move very fast, that’s why I am here today.

“I agreed to come last night and I am here today to take training because we want to go in a good direction as soon as possible.”

What we said at the time:

He's right. Swansea do have (a few) good players, but his faith is misplaced in the creating chances statement. Swansea don't score enough goals because they don't create enough. It is that simple. It is encouraging that he's already been out on the training field. He will now know the task that awaits him. It is huge. Things won't change in a few days, he's correct there. But they need to, sharpish.

Well, his comments on players with quality is a really interesting one. The effect the Portuguese has had on this squad has been nothing short of remarkable. The players are barely recognisable to the ones who were toiling under Paul Clement.

In his 12 games in charge so far, Swansea's results read: Watford 1-2 Swansea, Swansea 0-2 Tottenham, Wolves 0-0 Swansea, Newcastle 1-1 Swansea, Swansea 2-1 Wolves, Swansea 1-0 Liverpool, Notts County 1-1 Swansea, Swansea 3-1 Arsenal, Leicester 1-1 Swansea, Swansea 8-1 Notts County, Swansea 1-0 Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Swansea.

Yesterday's game at Hillsborough aside, they have created more and scored more, and more importantly look confident and shackle-free. He said there was no magic - but what he has done is instill a much more valuable commodity; belief.

How quickly he has turned round this sinking ship is commendable to say the least.

What he said:

“I like to play more in attack. We have to manage the ball very well and have ball possession.

“But we don’t just want ball possession, we want possession to try to score goals.

“Our teams usually score a lot of goals. We like also for our teams to play with discipline and defensive organisation, so we will try to get a balance.

“We have to understand the abilities of the players. We will try to build a game model with our ideas and with the players we have.

“We must go to the pitch without any fear. We have to try to compete for three points against every opponent. To do that, we must have courage and be strong.”

What we said at the time:

Easier said than done, Carlos. What Carvalhal is saying here fits in with Swansea's philosophy - possession-based football was always Swansea's hallmark. But in truth, other teams have caught up with Swansea and in fact do it a lot better than them now. Also, in many ways, possession football has been exchanged for a more counter-attacking approach. He talks about balance, but Swansea simply haven't got that right now. He needs to address the chronic lack of creativity, as soon as possible. He talks about fear, and he is absolutely right to do so. At present, the players are riddled with it, especially at the Liberty. That simply must be addressed.

Swansea have been noticeably more on the front foot since the former Owls boss arrived. Even in his first game at Vicarage Road, where Swansea did not play particularly well, they kept going right to the end and were rewarded for it. He has stayed true to his words on that.

In terms of possession, Jamie Carragher raised the insightful point on Monday Night Football recently ; Swansea are vastly improved - and effective - with and without the ball. They

Organisationally, the players seem to know their roles and responsibilities, something which must have been drilled into them at Fairwood, and more importantly, put into practice on matchdays.

The balance issue has been addressed not by recruitment but in mindset; Swansea were never shipping goals under Clement, but there was a chronic lack of creativity. Swansea players are now getting forward more to support the front men a lot more.

The former Real Madrid No.2 was guilty of chopping and changing systems and personnel, which, to a certain degree, contributed to his downfall. Carvalhal spoke of trying to build a game model with the players he has and understanding their abilities; the perfect example of that would be Sam Clucas, who looks a player reborn since being deployed on the left of a midfield three and given licence to get forward.

The manager also spoke about fear, courage and strength; the former looks to have been banished from SA1 while the latter two seem to have been bottled and injected into every member of the squad.

What he said:

“At two clubs I have worked at recently, the same thing happened. When I arrived at Besiktas, even though I worked at Sporting Lisbon, a massive club in Portugal, nobody knew me.

“There were a lot of doubts among the fans.

“But after three months they started to sing my name in the stands. They knew me very well by then.

“When I arrived at Sheffield Wednesday it was the same. They did not know me in England.

“When I arrived people asked lots of questions – who is this guy? But after three months, they started singing my name again.

“That’s something I appreciate. When I arrive people don’t know me very well, but it’s about the work we do and the way the team play.

“It’s what I expect here in Swansea. I like this kind of challenge.

“Let’s work hard, let’s try to get our team playing football and get the fans on our side, and let’s try to do something special.”

What we said at the time:

This is going to be some challenge for Carvalhal - possibly his biggest in football. He's managed some big sides - Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas are two massive clubs - but the predicament here is precarious. He says he's faced doubts among fans before, and it is fair to say many supporters in Landore are also of that frame of mind at present. The length of his contract and the general fug around the club at the moment adds to that indifference. He will certainly have to work hard - but more importantly, he needs his players to work even harder. The fans will be on side. Swansea supporters are a knowledge lot and with a fierce sense of loyalty to their club. They know the Portuguese needs their backing - and backing they will give, especially for the 90 minutes on matchday, starting at Vicarage Road.

His prediction about fans singing his name after three months? Carvalhal looks to have achieved his aim in less than half that time.

His impact on the squad and fanbase has been marked. Opinions - including this writer's - have changed.

Swansea were rock bottom when he arrived; they are now seven points above basement club West Brom and have their fate back in their own hands. And there is the possibility of a quarter-final date in the FA Cup up for grabs if Swansea can overcome the Owls in their replay.

"Let's try to do something special," Carvalhal said.

There is a long way still to go, but if he can continue along this course for the remainder of the season, he will surely be set for a longer stay in South Wales than his current contract stipulates.</s>Carlos Carvalhal compared Swansea City’s FA Cup run to the Police Academy movies after this Hillsborough stalemate, but it was hard not to feel that Groundhog Day would have been more apt.

This goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday followed the pattern of Swansea’s campaign to date in this much-loved competition.

Three away ties have seen the Swans produce underwhelming performances yet live to fight another day, and on each occasion they have been able to do the job on home turf.

If they can repeat the feat against the Owls then that last-eight spot will be secured and Carlos Carvalhal and his men will be one step from a trip to Wembley for a semi-final, and two from the May showpiece under the arch.

For the Portuguese, who received a warm reception from the home support on his return to his old stomping ground less than two months after his departure, it just keeps the momentum ticking over.

The unbeaten run under him now extends into double figures and the solid base of his set-up was in evidence again here as - after a sluggish start - Swansea managed to keep their opponents at arms length for much of the contest, particularly during a second half where they looked the more likely to find a winner without really making the pressure tell.

Premier League survival is - and has to be - the focus, but the cup games have allowed the 52-year-old to keep his fringe players interested, it has allowed him to give them opportunities they might not otherwise get which all feeds into the mood amongst his squad.

On that score, another replay may not appear a bad thing, but events before a ball had even been kicked in South Yorkshire served as a reminder of the pitfalls that can await.

Swansea are already without Leroy Fer and Wilfried Bony for the remainder of this season, they will be desperately hoping Alfie Mawson is not added to that list after being injured during the warm-up.

The initial prognosis did not look good as the centre-half was pictured on the bench wearing a knee brace and requiring a pair of crutches, Carvalhal was more positive over his “locked” knee but it is still a scare Swansea could do without.

A cup run is not to be sniffed at, Swansea have never really had a concerted crack at the FA Cup, they are in a position where not making the most of this chance would feel like a waste.

But it is also placing additional demands on Carvalhal’s squad, he does not have enough at his disposal to rest all his frontline players, and there were several starters here who had started against Burnley.

Asking the same core players to back up week after week, playing additional midweek games due to replays being needed, carries a risk and at such a crucial time in Swansea’s season.

They have four games coming up against sides in the bottom half of the table, and slotting another game in between two of those fixtures is far from ideal and it leaves Swansea in something of a catch 22 situation.

Those are headaches for Carvalhal - who admitted another replay was the last thing he wanted - but his side have put themselves in position to finish the job against their Championship opponents.

The visitors never really roused themselves from a sluggish start but solid enough not to be in too much difficulty.

Kyle Naughton performed well after being summoned late to replace Mawson, while the likes of Connor Roberts and Ki Sung-yueng among those deserving of honourable mentions for their displays.

But this was far from a memorable afternoon of football, although it was book-ended by two excellent chances the hosts failed to take and which may ultimately prove costly when this tie is settled in South Wales.

The Swansea City player ratings as disappointing front three prove a major frustration

With the early kick off, Swansea briefly appeared to be collectively having a lie-in as a simple knock-down header sent Adam Reach in on goal, with Kristoffer Nordfeldt forced to make a smart save to ensure his side did not concede early.

There were other lapses, Mike van der Hoorn and Kyle Bartley were robbed off possession needlessly and a front three of Luciano Narsingh, Wayne Routledge and Tammy Abraham proved flimsy in the face of some determined Wednesday defending at the other end.

It took until the half hour mark for Swansea to shake off their slumbers and start to get a handle on things, with Ki helping provide some direction with the ball.

They very nearly led at the break, with only a fantastic save from Cameron Dawson denying Van der Hoorn’s point-blank header.

It would prove as close as Swansea were to come but they were much improved in the second half, establishing a hold on the game that only increased when the ineffectual Abraham and Narsingh were replaced by Nathan Dyer and Jordan Ayew.

The Ghanaian twice got into good positions but could not apply the finish and Swansea breathed a late sigh of relief when Nordfeldt managed to steer Adthe Nuhiu’s effort to safety in stoppage time.

All of which means, just as Bill Murray’s character kept waking up to Sonny and Cher’s ‘I Got You Babe’, Swansea will steel themselves for another FA Cup replay.</s>A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit south Wales on Saturday, causing tremors to be felt across western Britain.

The quake’s epicentre was 10km north east of Swansea, according to monitors EMSC.

Yet while the earthquake came as a shock to many people, especially as it is the largest quake to hit the area since 1906, many were left feeling underwhelmed - with some even missing the tremors altogether.

Here are some of the best ways Brits reacted to today’s earthquake:</s>The British Geological Survey said it was the largest quake in the area since 1906.

The quake’s epicentre was 10km north east of Swansea, according to monitors EMSC and its tremors were felt across western Britain.

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake, which only happens every two to three years in the UK, has hit Wales.

This is the biggest event in the area since the 5.2 magnitude earthquake in 1906. pic.twitter.com/zq9JEIttQI

It said a quake of this size happened in Britain only once every two or three years.

Just in: Event epicentre approx 20km NNE of Swansea, with 4.4 magnitude at a depth of 7.4km. Events of this magnitude only happen in the UK every 2-3 years.

People reported feeling the tremor in Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea among other places.

This British Geological Survey real-time seismogram monitoring station at Monmouth recorded an earthquake that's widely being reported on Twitter across Wales, SW & NW England, parts of the Midlands. @BritGeoSurvey are currently analysing the data, with more info to follow soon. pic.twitter.com/2iEu0k1KUJ

We are in the process of analysing data for the felt report of a tremor in the SW of England. As soon as we know more we’ll let you know.

The Met Office reported feeling it in their headquarters in Exeter.

We felt the #earthquake here at Met Office HQ too. If you have any further enquires please get in contact with @BritGeoSurvey https://t.co/Tc9zFoYp7F

EMSC estimated 10 million people lived in the area where the quake could be felt.

Map of the testimonies received so far following the #earthquake M4.7 in Wales-England Region, U.k. 40 min ago pic.twitter.com/KhWEV08XDU

Dyfed Powys Police said it was getting “an extremely high call volume” about the tremor but told people: “There is nothing to worry about.”

We are receiving an extremely high call volume reporting some sort of earth tremor in the area - we are receiving reports from across the whole of Wales (we felt it in our control room too!). For now - it is unexplained - but there is nothing to worry about.

HuffPost UK reporter Kathryn Snowdon was in a cafe in Swansea city centre at the time the earthquake struck.

She said: “It suddenly felt as though the whole building was shaking for a few seconds. It was scary at first but it was over with so quickly that no-one was really sure what had just happened.

“Some thought it was just very windy outside and others thought that a large vehicle was passing nearby.

“It wasn’t until we started searching on social media that it became clear it was felt across the rest of south Wales and England.

“There aren’t any signs of damage and people look to be carrying on as normal.”

Rory Castle Jones, who lives in Craig-Cefn-Parc, just outside Swansea, told HuffPost UK: “We felt the house shake and heard a rumbling. I’ve never experienced an earthquake before and had no idea what it was.

“We thought maybe it was a mine shaft collapsing or something.”

Emily Perkins, who lives in Bristol, said: “I was at home in our flat just around the corner from Temple Meads, and the whole building shook - far more than you’d expect from a heavy lorry or a freight train.

“It felt like the whole building was pushed to the side, with mirrors shaking. There isn’t any damage in the area that we can see, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some buildings have structural issues discovered later.”</s>A 4.2-magnitude earthquake hit southern Wales Saturday morning, the first in the United Kingdom of that size in about 10 years.

The earthquake, with an epicenter north of Swansea, was felt through southwest England and the south of Wales, according to the BBC. However, no reports of serious damage or injury has been recorded. The earthquake was the largest one felt in the area since a 5.2-magnitude earthquake in 2008, the BBC reported.

Despite the lack of known injuries or damage, authorities said they are still seeing a high call volume as a result of the earthquake. Police are asking people to only call if they are injured or if there are damages.

Many took to Twitter to share their experiences as well.</s>Sheffield Weds take on Swansea on Saturday 17th February, 2018, with kickoff at 12:30. This match is currently being shown LIVE on BT Sport.

The Carlos Carvajal derby, as literally nobody is calling it, is happening this weekend, and the fans are pretty much oblivious. The Portuguese has shown some ability as manager of the Premier League team Swansea, which makes his sacking by Championship side Sheffield Wednesday more and more strange. Then again, it is Wednesday, so odd occurrences are to be expected.

If Wednesday win this it will create some very odd crowing in that part of the world, but to be honest the away side are still more focussed on survival than anything else.</s>A 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook South Wales Saturday, rattling buildings and startling residents throughout the coastal towns where quakes are uncommon.

The epicenter was located a few miles north of the town of Swansea, Wales, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS), but tremors could be felt across south Wales and the southwest of England.

It was the strongest recorded earthquake in the area for more than 100 years, the BGS said. So far, no injuries have been reported.

Tyler Mears, who lives 30 miles north of the quake’s epicenter in Rhondda, South Wales, said when her house began to shake she initially thought of many causes, but it didn’t occur to her that it could be an earthquake.

“We live right by a mountain, so at first I thought a car had come down the mountain and crashed into the side of the house,” Mears said.

She quickly took to social media, where she said her friends throughout the country said they felt the quake, too.

“We all kind of looked at each other in disbelief,” she said. “We have rain and thunderstorms, but never an earthquake.”

Although small earthquakes in the United Kingdom are not uncommon, the British Geological Survey said historically quakes above a 5-point magnitude on the Richter scale occur about every decade.</s>LONDON -- The British Geological Survey says a magnitude 4.4 quake has shaken southern Wales.

So far there have been no reports of major damage or injuries.

The earthquake happened Saturday about 2:30 p.m. local time. Its epicenter was about 20 kilometres (12.43 miles) northeast of Swansea.

The British Geological Survey said on Twitter that an earthquake of that magnitude occurs in Britain about every two or three years.</s>Britain was hit by its biggest earthquake in a decade on Saturday, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said on Saturday, with tremors felt across parts of Wales and southwest England but no notable damage reported.

The BGS said the quake was of magnitude 4.4, with an epicentre 20 km (12.5 miles) north of the Welsh city of Swansea, adding that it was the biggest quake in the Britain since 2008.

Earthquakes are not common in Britain and are rarely powerful. The 2008 quake in Market Rasen, north-east England, was magnitude 5.2 – 16 times more powerful than Saturday’s quake.

However, Saturday’s earthquake in Wales was felt as far away as Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, over 200 km (125 miles) away.

Videos on social media showed people gathered outside Swansea University, which was holding an open day, after an apparent evacuation.

“Thank you to everyone who attended our visit day. We hoped that you had a surprisingly ‘earth moving’ experience!” Swansea University said on Twitter.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake, the strongest in the United Kingdom for ten years, occurs at Swansea.