A SMALL earthquake has been recorded in Powys, just two days after Christmas.

The earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 2 on the Richter scale, was recorded in the early hours of Tuesday, December 27, near Llanbedr, 2 miles north of Crickhowell.

The British Geological Survey said the quake happened at 1.09am, although, in general, any tremors that measure below 2 cannot be felt, with millions 2.5 or less estimated to occur around the globe each year.

Earthquakes between 2.5 and 5.4 on the scale are often felt, but only cause minor damage.

Any earthquake, however, can be recorded by seismograph, with the epicentre of the Llanbedr earthquake recorded at 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) below the surface.

It is also the strongest earthquake to have been recorded in the UK during the past 60 days – the second highest was a 1.8 in Eddington, Berkshire, on November 5.

The earthquake came exactly three months after the last one was felt in Powys. That was also a 2 and occurred near Llanwrtyd Wells on October 27, with the British Geological Survey saying the epicentre was 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) below the surface. A tremor measuring 1.1, meanwhile, was recorded near Llanelli on December 7.

Wales has regular active earth movements because there are several long-active fault systems across the country. The Menai Strait in North Wales is the most seismically active area in the country and one of the most active in the UK.

The most recent significant earthquake in Powys, which recorded a magnitude of 4.6, happened between Ystradgynlais and Ystalyfera on February 17, 2018.

A major earthquake happened here on April 2, 1990, along the Powys border which the epicentre initially identified as being in Bishop's Castle, but was later revised to be just inside the Powys border, in the vicinity of the small town of Clun.

It measured 5.1 and was felt over an area of around 140,000 square kilometres and was followed by six aftershocks.

The earthquake was said to have been felt by people as far away as the east of Ireland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Kent and Cornwall.

In Shrewsbury, there was damage to masonry, with a number of chimney stacks being broken off from roofs and collapsing partially or completely into gardens and streets, while residents reported lateral shaking and swaying to the walls of their houses at the height of the tremor.

Damage to buildings was also reported in Wrexham, and even Liverpool and Manchester.