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Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN), which monitors seismic activity in the country, has registered at least ten separate earthquakes in Andalucía in the early hours of this morning, Thursday July 20, and possibly as many as 15.

 

The strongest was an earthquake which measured 3.5 on the Richter scale and had its epicentre in the Cadiz town of Algodonales, though thankfully nobody was harmed and no personal property was damaged.

 

The earthquake occurred at 5.44am with an epicentre one kilometre deep and was felt people in the municipality of Algodonales itself and in the neighbouring village of Zahara de los Atunes.

 

Not only this, but between the hours of 3.24am and 6.42am, the IGN recorded another seven earthquakes with their epicentre in Algodonales, all measuring between 1.7 and 2.9 on the Richter scale, as well as another two quakes – one measuring 1.6 in El Gastor (Cadiz) and the other measuring 1.7 in Valle de Abdalajís (Málaga).

 

There were also several minor quakes before this around midnight in the same area.

 

The unified 112 Andalucía Emergency Service has not received any calls warning them of any problems related to these minor earthquakes, and no one seems to have been harmed in any of them.

 

Small earthquakes like these are not uncommon in Spain and most of the time they go unnoticed by ordinary people.

 

Nonetheless, authorities are reiterating their advice of what to do in the case of a serious earthquake. They recommend that if you are indoors when the earthquake is happening, you should take shelter under a sturdy table and stay away from walls or things that could fall down.

 

As soon as the earthquake is over, you should proceed to exit the building and stay in the street, always taking the stairs and being sure to check first that nobody is injured.

 

Image: IGN