Earthquakes in September 2026

In September, 15 earthquakes were felt in Austria. Their epicentres were mainly in Tyrol, whilst another was in Lower Austria.

At 02:18 CEST on 2 September, an earthquake measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale was felt by the public 4 km south of Oberwaltersdorf, Lower Austria (47.94°N, 16.32°E). Some people were woken up and noticed a slight shaking of the buildings. At the epicentre, the intensity reached 3 to 4 on the 12-point European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98). The tremor was felt within a radius of approximately 10 km.

Two further earthquakes occurred on 2 September in the area south-east of Innsbruck. They were felt in the area between Völs, Matrei am Brenner and Wattens. The epicentre of the earthquake at 02:27 CEST was near Sistrans, Tyrol (46.25°N, 11.46°E), whilst that of the earthquake at 17:26 CEST was 7 km south-east of Innsbruck, Tyrol (46.22°N, 11.48°E). With magnitudes of 2.6 and 2.7, they were clearly felt by many residents. People felt a tremor and noticed a slight shaking of the building. A rumbling sound was heard, there were reports of clinking glasses, and some people reacted with concern. In total, the Austrian Seismological Service received around 1,000 reports of the tremors from the public for the two earthquakes. The intensity for both earthquakes was 4 on the EMS-98 scale.

A minor earthquake measuring 1.5 on the Richter scale was recorded on 10 September at 00:46 CEST near Hall in Tyrol (47.29°N, 11.52°E). A faint tremor was felt by people at rest. The intensity was 3 on the EMS-98 scale.

In the Innsbruck area, a minor earthquake of magnitude 1.9 was faintly felt at 02:09 CEST on the night of 14 September. The epicentre was 7 km south-east of Innsbruck, Tyrol (47.23°N, 11.47°E). The tremors were felt at distances of up to 10 km. The macroseismic intensity reached 3 on the EMS-98 scale.

On 20 September at 15:00 CEST, a minor earthquake with a magnitude of 1.6 occurred approximately 3 km north of Innsbruck, Tyrol (47.30°N, 11.40°E). The tremors were felt only sporadically and very faintly. The intensity was 2 to 3 on the EMS-98 scale.

A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 1.3 was located near Prutz, Tyrol (47.09°N, 10.64°E) at 00:09 CEST on the night of 24 September. It was perceived by a few people at rest as a faint tremor, and a rumbling sound was reported. The intensity was 3 on the EMS-98 scale.

On 26 September at 06:36 CEST, a minor earthquake of magnitude 1.7 was faintly felt in the Innsbruck area. The epicentre was 7 km south-east of Innsbruck, Tyrol (47.24°N, 11.47°E). The macroseismic intensity reached 3 on the EMS-98 scale.

The strongest earthquake of the month occurred on 26 September at 09:56 CEST, 7 km south-east of Innsbruck, Tyrol (47.22°N, 11.48°E). It had a magnitude of 3.8 and the tremors were felt by numerous people within a radius of around 30 km. Many people were scared by the tremors, which ranged from clearly to strongly perceptible, and heard a loud rumbling. A few reacted with fear. Small, unstable objects fell over, smaller items or pictures on the walls shifted, and wooden walls or roof trusses creaked. In some cases, buildings shook violently, prompting some people to leave the building. In isolated cases, very minor damage was reported, including hairline cracks in walls and small pieces of plaster falling off. More than 1,700 reports of the tremor were sent to the Austrian Seismological Service via the online form or the QuakeWatch Austria app. The intensity reached 5 on the 12-point European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98). The earthquake was followed by five aftershocks felt by the public (see table). These were all felt only weakly and reached an intensity of 3 on the EMS-98.

Overview of the earthquakes that occurred south-east of Innsbruck in September 2026 and were felt by the public (see list below):

On 30 September at 18:15 CEST, a minor earthquake of magnitude 1.9 occurred near Hall in Tyrol (47.29°N, 11.52°E), which was faintly felt by some people and was accompanied by a rumbling of the ground. There were reports of windows shaking. The intensity was rated at 3 on the EMS-98 scale.

Excerpt from the short form of the 12-level European Macroseismic Scale 1998, based on Mercalli-Sieberg.

• Degree 2 – Scarcely: The tremor is felt only by a very few individuals at rest and in an especially receptive position indoors.
• Degree 3 – Weak: The earthquake is felt indoors by a few. People at rest feel a swaying or light trembling. Hanging objects swing slightly.
• Degree 4 – Largely observed: The earthquake is felt indoors by many and felt outdoors only by very few. A few people are awakened, the vibration is moderate, slight trembling of the building or room. Glasses, windows and doors rattle, light furniture shakes visibly.
• Degree 5 – Strongly felt: The earthquake is felt indoors by most, outdoors by few. A few people are frightened and run outdoors. Many sleeping people awake. Observers feel a strong shaking or rocking of the whole building, room or furniture. Small objects may be shifted or fall down. Doors and windows swing open or shut. Hairline cracks appear in a few buildings, particularly those prone to damage.

UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) = GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Data for worldwide earthquakes according to U.S. Geological Survey M: Magnitude (logarithmic energy scale) Information provided without guarantee

Seismological Service of Austria - GeoSphere Austria Hohe Warte 38, A-1190 Vienna Tel. +43 1 36026 2508 E-Mail: seismo@geosphere.at