A magnitude 5.2 quake has struck Canterbury this morning, centered 20km south-west of Cheviot.
The earthquake, classified as "severe" by Geonet hit just after 8am at a depth of 12kms.
This is the second quake to strike within 24 hours. A "strong" 4.7 magnitude quake at a depth of 9km hit just after 5.15am this morning, Geonet reported.
On Wednesday morning a 4.8-magnitude quake struck the same area and aftershocks have been felt since.
There are no reports of injuries or damage.
