Un magnitude 4,4 earthquake with epicenter in the western part of alboran sea It shook much of southern Spain in the early hours of Wednesday. The tremor, recorded around 00 pmIt occurred at great depth and has been clearly noticeable in numerous Andalusian municipalities and other points in the interior of the peninsula, although No personal or material damage has been reported.
According to the data of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) And from the regional emergency services, the tremor generated dozens of citizen alerts, especially in Andalucía, but also in Ceuta, Extremadura and Castilla-La ManchaMost of those who felt it described a brief jolt, a swaying of furniture, or a slight dry thud, typical of these deep earthquakes that originate under the Alboran Sea.
Technical data of the earthquake in the Alboran Sea
The IGN has specified that the epicenter It was located in the area of Western Alboran, front of coast of Malaga, with approximate coordinates of 36.02º north latitude and -4.66º west longitudeThe hypocenter was located at a depth of about 90-92 kilometers, which makes it an earthquake with an intermediate focus, typical of this strip between the Malaga coast and the Moroccan coast.
The magnitude, 4,4 on the Richter scaleIt is considered moderate, but because it occurred at such a depth, the energy was distributed over a very wide area. In fact, the earthquake was detected at seismic stations throughout southern Spain and was felt in several regions, although with low or moderate intensities according European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98).
At the points closest to the epicenter, the IGN has calculated a maximum intensity of III-IV, compatible with a clearly noticeable shaking indoors, swaying of lamps or hanging objects and a slight movement of light furniture, but no damage to buildings or infrastructureIn other, more distant territories, the intensity decreased to levels II-IIIThat is, barely felt or weak.
Organizations such as the IGN and the Red Simica National They frame this episode within the usual activity of the Alboran Sea, one of the most seismic areas of the peninsular environment, where tremors of magnitudes between 3 and 5 are frequent at intermediate depths.
How it was perceived in Andalusia: Malaga, Cordoba, Seville and the Andalusian coast
The community most affected in terms of perception was Andalucía. The phone of Emergencies 112 Andalusia He received more than thirty calls in a few minutes from different provinces such as Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva and Malaga, with warnings that focused on describing the tremor, although without reporting any type of damage.
In province of MalagaThe movement was particularly noticeable along the coastline and nearby areas. The IGN has assigned a intensity III-IV in places like Torremolinos, Mijas and Ojénand has recorded similar sensations in numerous surrounding areas: Malaga capital (especially in neighborhoods like Guadalmar or La Araña), Benajarafe, Torre del Mar, Alhaurín el Grande, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, Coín, Cómpeta, Estación de Cártama, Fuengirola, Estepona, La Cala del Moral, Marbella, Nerja, Rincón de la Victoria, San Pedro Alcántara, Manilva and other nearby municipalities.
Neighbors of the Antequera region They also reported the earthquake, with specific references to Mall and other inland towns in Malaga. Many recounted a short wiggleA tap on the table or a vibration made them doubt for a few seconds whether it was an earthquake or a simple passing sensation until they checked on social media and on the IGN website that a tremor had occurred.
En CordobaThe earthquake was felt both in the capital and in a long list of surrounding municipalities and in the province. The National Geographic Institute (IGN) and the 112 emergency services recorded reports of tremors in the city of Córdoba and in... The Pedroches, as well as in places like Cerro Muriano, Alcolea, Almodóvar del Río, Añora, Baena, El Viso, Fuente Palmera, La Carlota, Montoro, Nueva Carteya, Lucena, Palma del Río, Posadas, Priego de Córdoba, Hornachuelos, Pedroche, Pozoblanco, Villanueva de Córdoba, Villafranca and Villanueva del Rey, among others.
In Seville provinceIntensities have been recorded of III-IV in Almadén de la Plata and Aznalcóllar, Y de intensity III in municipalities such as Alcala del Rio and Constantina. The tremor was also felt in various scattered points of the province, always with a slight character and without consequences.
Along the Andalusian coastThe tremor spread from the bay of Algeciras up to the area of Motril, with intensities II-IIIIn many cases, only a portion of the population noticed the swaying, usually people who were awake and resting inside buildings, while those who were asleep barely noticed the earthquake.
Ceuta, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha: a weak but widespread tremor
The seismic wave also traveled inland across the peninsula and into North Africa. autonomous city of CeutaOfficial records place the intensity between II and III of the macroseismic scale, which means that only a very small part of the population perceived it, mainly at rest and inside homes or buildings. No incidents have been reported. nor any impact on infrastructure.
En EstremaduraThe earthquake surprised residents of numerous municipalities in the provinces of Badajoz and CáceresThe IGN has collected automatic reports from around twenty towns in Badajoz province, in addition to specific alerts in the city of Badajoz. Caceres and in the municipality of Malpartida de CáceresThe estimated intensity in the region has been mostly level IIThat is, barely felt and with no effect on buildings or objects.
Among the towns in Extremadura where the tremor was felt are Badajoz, Mérida, Calamonte, Trujillanos, Villanueva de la Serena, Zafra, Zalamea de la Serena, Villafranca de los Barros, Puebla del Prior, Castuera, Esparragosa de Lares, Fregenal de la Sierra, Fuente de Cantos, Jerez de los Caballeros, Montijo, Ribera del Fresno, Talavera la Real and ValdelacalzadaAmong others. In most of these places, the sensation was limited to a slight vibration or a small swaying, often lasting only a few seconds.
The tremor was also felt, albeit more faintly, in the Ciudad Real province, Castilla la Manchawhere both the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and the Local Police have recorded reports from citizens who claimed to have felt the tremor. Despite the initial alarm that such a phenomenon can cause in areas unaccustomed to experiencing earthquakes, No damage or noteworthy incidents have been reported.
With less intensity, perceptions have been reported in more than fifty Andalusian towns distributed throughout Cadiz, Cordoba, Malaga, Huelva and Seville, as well as in Ceuta and in some areas of Castile-La Mancha, which reflects the geographical reach of the earthquake despite its moderate magnitude.
A seismically active zone: the Alboran Sea and the risk in the southern Iberian Peninsula
Experts remind us that alboran sea It is one of the areas with greater seismic activity in southern EuropeThe interaction between the Eurasian and African plates generates a complex tectonic structure that gives rise to frequent earthquakes, many of them of intermediate focusbetween 40 and 120 kilometers deep, like the one recorded on this occasion.
The Red Simica National It is explained that in this sector there is a kind of seismic zone that extends from the area of Málaga southwest, towards the Moroccan coastIn that area, numerous similar earthquakes have been documented at great depths, which can be felt over large areas but are usually They do not cause significant damage due to the attenuation of energy as it passes through the Earth's crust.
A recent example occurred at the beginning of December 2025, when an earthquake occurred magnitude 4,9 also under the Mediterranean Sea, very close to the town of Las Lagunas, in the municipality of Fuengirola (Malaga), about 79 kilometers deepNo damage occurred in that incident either, although experts pointed out that, had it originated near the surface, the outcome could have been very different for the most vulnerable buildings.
In the interior of the Iberian Peninsula, the Seismic hazard map of Spain indicates that the risk in Estremadura It is small, although it identifies an area of greater vulnerability in the southwest of the province of Badajoz. The Special Civil Protection Plan for Seismic Risk in Extremadura, in force since 2009, places the point of greatest danger within the municipality of Valencia de Mombuey, classified with a potential intensity VII on a scale of twelve levels, which is the lowest range within the scenarios capable of generating appreciable damage.
On the scale immediately below, the intensity VIThis includes more than a hundred municipalities in Extremadura, all in the south and west of the region, mostly in Badajoz and about ten in Cáceres. Even so, the authorities insist that, statistically, the probability of destructive events The risk in the area remains low, although it is important to keep emergency plans and information to the population up to date.
How to interpret the intensity of an earthquake
In addition to magnitude, which measures the energy released, official agencies use the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98) to describe the effects of an earthquake on people, objects, and buildings. This scale is expressed in degrees of intensity, ranging from I (no sense) to XII (total destruction), and is based on observations reported by the population and technicians.
In this episode, most of the affected areas have shifted within the ranges II, III and IV. The Grade II (barely felt) It describes tremors that are only perceived by a very small number of people, usually at rest and inside buildings, without any visible effects on nature or the structure of the buildings.
El Grade III (weak) It is assigned when some people notice a slight swaying or vibration indoors; it may hanging objects sway slightlyHowever, no damage or alterations to the environment are observed. It is a level that sometimes goes unnoticed by a large part of the population.
At the Grade IV (widely observed)The tremor, which was the strongest recorded in municipalities near the epicenter, was felt by many people inside buildings and by some outside. A slight rattling of dishes or glass may occur, light furniture may vibrate, and some people may even wake up. without being considered dangerous movements for the stability of the buildings.
Beginning Grade V (strong) Minor displacements of unstable objects, broken glass, or very slight damage to vulnerable structures become possible. The degrees of the VI to XII They are already associated with progressively more significant damage to infrastructure and buildings, something that This has not happened in this earthquake in the Alboran Sea.
Self-protection recommendations before, during and after an earthquake
Emergency services, such as Emergencies 112 Andalusia and the own National Geographic InstituteThey emphasize the importance of knowing some basic self-protection guidelines In the face of earthquakes, even in areas where these phenomena are not common, guides and informational videos summarizing the most useful measures in three phases—before, during, and after the tremor—have been disseminated in recent years.
Among the previous recommendations, the advisability of prepare a small emergency kit in a place known to the whole family, which includes a first aid kit with basic supplies, bottled watera whirlpool bath, Lanternspare batteries and a portable radio to follow official information in the event of a power outage or communications disruption.
It is also advised Secure shelves, cabinets, and heavy furniture to the wallsRemove objects from the upper levels that could fall, such as vases, books, or small appliances. It is important to check the secure attachment of elements such as chimneys, cornices, balconies, and other exterior components that tend to detach during tremors. In homes with installations of gasIt is advisable to periodically check the condition of the pipes and the correct functioning of the shut-off valves.
During an earthquake, the general instruction is keep calm where possible and take shelter in your current location. If you are inside a home or building, it is recommended Stay away from windows, glass doors, mirrors and lampsand look for a relatively safe area like under a sturdy table, a solid bed, a door lintel, next to a pillar, or in a structurally sound cornerIt is preferable not to use stairs or elevators while the movement is taking place.
Those who are on the street must stay in open spacesStay away from facades, cornices, walls, utility poles, or anything that could fall. Taking shelter in doorways or under balconies is not a good idea, as these are areas where many small fragments tend to collapse during a more intense earthquake.
If the earthquake catches a person inside a vehicle, the recommendation is stop the car in a safe placeavoiding passing under bridges, viaducts or tunnels, turning on the emergency lights and stay inside until the shaking stops. Afterwards, it's advisable to drive with caution in case there has been any landslide or damage to the road surface.
Once the earthquake has ended, it is advisable Check if there are any injured people in the area and to provide assistance only if you have basic first aid knowledge, while awaiting the arrival of specialized teams. It is also recommended Turn off the water, gas, and electricity taps. If damage to the facilities is suspected, do not use elevators until structural problems have been ruled out, and avoid entering buildings that show significant cracks, detachments, or signs of instability.
The authorities also remind us that it is preferable do not overload the telephone linesreserving them for real emergencies, and using, as far as possible, official information channels — such as the IGN pages, emergency services or verified social media accounts — to follow the evolution of the episode and possible aftershocks.
This earthquake magnitude 4,4 in the Alboran Sea, widely felt but without harm, brings back to the table the relevance of to understand the seismic behavior of the southern peninsula and to maintain a certain culture of prevention, especially in coastal areas and areas where, although the risk of major catastrophes is low, tremors are part of the natural dynamics of the territory.
