Earthquakes in Nicosia
Seismic activity in the surroundings
30 km radiusINGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.
How seismic is this area?
A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.
Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.120 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).
The “area” is Nicosia plus nearby towns.
The seismic history of Nicosia
The earthquakes that were actually felt in Nicosia over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).
- 1992V6 April 1992
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 18 km away
- 1977D5 June 1977
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 16 km away · observed at Caserma San Martino
- 1977V-VI5 June 1977
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 16 km away · observed at San Basile
- 1976V17 September 1976
Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.5), epicentre 14 km away
- 1967VIII31 October 1967
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 13 km away
- 1934V-VI11 September 1934
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Sicilia centro-settentrionale earthquake (M4.8), epicentre 40 km away
- 1925VII8 March 1925
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Monti Nebrodi earthquake (M4.6), epicentre 7 km away
- 1908VI28 December 1908
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 125 km away
- 1822VI-VII6 April 1822
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Nicosia earthquake (M4.3), epicentre 3 km away
- 1818VI20 February 1818
Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.
Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 71 km away
- 1718VI-VII20 February 1718
Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.
Sicilia orientale earthquake (M5.3), epicentre 28 km away
- 1693VII-VIII11 January 1693
Ruinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M7.3), epicentre 89 km away
…and 35 more documented effects in this town's history.
Source: Italian Macroseismic Database DBMI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The great earthquakes in this area's history
Almost a thousand years of catalogues: the strongest documented events within ~50 km.
Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
The closest seismic structure
The town lies about 41 km from Gela-Catania, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.
Faults are mapped to build better and understand the territory: knowing them says nothing about when an earthquake will occur, which remains unpredictable. Source: DISS 3.3 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).
Area over time
Earthquake map
60 eventsEarthquakes in the area
Nearby towns
How does it compare with the surroundings?
Nicosia sits in one of the most seismically active areas of its province: quakes are a familiar presence here, almost always light.
Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.
Context
Province of Enna7 events · 30gSicily region127 events · 30gFrequently asked questions
Were there earthquakes today in Nicosia?
No, no quakes were recorded today in the Nicosia area: the latest nearby dates back to 23 hours ago.
Is Nicosia a seismic area?
Nicosia is classified in seismic zone 2 by the Civil Protection. A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.
What was the strongest earthquake near Nicosia?
In the last ~12 years of INGV data, the strongest within 30 km of Nicosia was magnitude 4.2, in 2026.
When was the last quake near Nicosia?
The last quake recorded within 30 km of Nicosia was 23 hours ago.
Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.
Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)