Strait of Messina earthquake of magnitude 3.7 felt across Sicily and Calabria, no damage reported

On 4 July 2026 at 17:46 UTC, a magnitude 3.7 earthquake struck the Strait of Messina, with its epicentre in the sea between Taormina and Melito di Porto Salvo at a depth of about 10 km. The tremor was clearly felt in numerous towns on both the Sicilian and Calabrian sides of the strait. Less than an hour later, at 18:42, a secondary shock of magnitude 2.7 was recorded.

The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) confirmed the events and reported no injuries, structural damage, or requests for emergency assistance. Civil protection authorities and local technical teams carried out immediate safety checks, finding no critical issues with buildings or infrastructure. The region, known for its complex tectonic setting where the African and Eurasian plates converge, remains under continuous monitoring. While the quake revived memories of the devastating 1908 Messina earthquake, the recent seismic activity caused only temporary alarm and did not result in any material impact.