Province of Messina

Earthquakes today in Merì

Today, within 30 km: 2 earthquakes recorded, the strongest magnitude 1.7 (updated at 10:48). Latest: M1.7 on 13 October 2026 at 00:11, 14 km North-West of Villafranca Tirrena, 10 km deep.

1.7
very light

Latest earthquake within 30 km

14 km North-West of Villafranca Tirrena

11 hours ago · 13 Oct 2026, 00:11
Depth 10 km

Seismic activity within 30 km

30 km radius
Today
latest quake within 30 km
3,711
quakes recorded since 2015
~1 days
on average, one quake every
3.7
The strongest within 30 km
2 km North-East of Oliveri
2 months ago · 18 Aug 2026, 10:07

INGV catalogue epicentres of the last ~12 years, within the given radius from the town centre.

How seismic is Merì: zone 2

Zone2
Seismic zone 2

A zone where strong earthquakes are possible: new buildings follow strict anti-seismic criteria.

Official Civil Protection classification (upd. 2025), used for building codes.

Medium
Expected shaking, compared with the other Italian municipalities (INGV MPS04 model)

Hazard describes the long-term expected shaking: it is not a forecast. Technical value: ag = 0.166 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, rigid soil).

Closest earthquake
Earthquake details
43
In the town
total on record
3
In the town
last 12 months
619
Within 30 km
last 12 months
M3.7
Strongest since 2015
Within 30 km

“Within 30 km”: epicentres less than 30 km from the centre of Merì. “In the town”: quakes whose nearest town to the epicentre is Merì.

Latest earthquake attributed to Merì: 12 October 2026 · 2,396 inhabitants

The seismic history of Merì

The earthquakes that were actually felt in Merì over the centuries, with the intensity observed on site (Mercalli MCS scale).

  1. 2006V27 February 2006

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Monti Peloritani earthquake (M4.4), epicentre 5 km away

  2. 2001III17 May 2001

    Light: felt by few people, like a passing truck.

    Tirreno meridionale earthquake (M5.0), epicentre 92 km away

  3. 1999IV-V14 February 1999

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Golfo di Patti earthquake (M4.7), epicentre 22 km away

  4. 1995IV-V27 August 1995

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Golfo di Patti earthquake (M4.1), epicentre 18 km away

  5. 1990IV-V13 December 1990

    Rather strong: felt by almost everyone; hanging objects swing.

    Sicilia sud-orientale earthquake (M5.6), epicentre 96 km away

  6. 1978VI-VII15 April 1978

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Golfo di Patti earthquake (M6.0), epicentre 29 km away

  7. 1908VII28 December 1908

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Stretto di Messina earthquake (M7.1), epicentre 38 km away

  8. 1905VI8 September 1905

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Calabria centrale earthquake (M7.0), epicentre 97 km away

  9. 1894VII16 November 1894

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Calabria meridionale earthquake (M6.1), epicentre 56 km away

  10. 1887II3 December 1887

    Very light: felt only by a few people at rest, on upper floors.

    Calabria settentrionale earthquake (M5.5), epicentre 177 km away

  11. 1823VI5 March 1823

    Strong: felt by everyone, many get scared; objects fall, first light damage to buildings.

    Sicilia settentrionale earthquake (M5.8), epicentre 80 km away

  12. 1818VII20 February 1818

    Very strong: hard to stand; chimneys and roof tiles fall, serious damage to weaker buildings.

    Catanese earthquake (M6.3), epicentre 63 km away

…and one more documented effect 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.

19087.1
Stretto di Messina earthquake
28 December 1908 · 38 km from here
XICatastrophic: very few buildings remain standing; landslides and ground cracks.
17866.1
Golfo di Patti earthquake
10 March 1786 · 22 km from here
IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.
19786.0
Golfo di Patti earthquake
15 April 1978 · 29 km from here
VIIIRuinous: partial collapses in ordinary buildings, widespread heavy damage.
17495.8
Messina earthquake
August 1749 · 26 km from here
VIII-IXDestructive: many buildings partly or fully collapse.

Source: Parametric Catalogue of Italian Earthquakes CPTI15 (INGV, CC BY 4.0).

The closest seismic structure

Milazzo-Eolie

The town lies about 5 km from Milazzo-Eolie, one of the seismic structures mapped by INGV geologists.

estimated maximum magnitude 6.9between 1 and 25 km deep

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).

Over time within 30 km

October 202627eventsmax 2.5
Jan '25
Apr
Jul
Oct
Jan '26
Apr
Jul
Oct

Earthquake map within 30 km

60 events
Magnitude:lightweakmoderatestrong

Latest earthquakes within 30 km

1.7
11 hours ago
13 Oct 2026, 00:11
1.7
11 hours ago
13 Oct 2026, 00:11
0.9
2 km South-West of Furnari
16 km South-West · 9 km
20 hours ago
12 Oct 2026, 14:38
0.9
2 km South-West of Furnari
16 km South-West · 9 km
20 hours ago
12 Oct 2026, 14:38
1.2
4 km South-East of Merì
4 km South-East · 10 km
22 hours ago
12 Oct 2026, 12:27
1.7
3 km North-West of Basicò
21 km West · 10 km
3 days ago
10 Oct 2026, 17:01
1.1
3 days ago
10 Oct 2026, 00:35
0.7
4 days ago
9 Oct 2026, 23:07
2.0
21 km North of Milazzo
28 km North · 128 km
4 days ago
9 Oct 2026, 12:39
1.1
12 km North of Patti
23 km West · 9 km
5 days ago
8 Oct 2026, 21:09

Nearby towns

How does it compare with the surroundings?

Merì records more quakes than the average of its province.

quietermore active
More epicentres than 62% of the 108 towns in the province.
Merì43
Nearby towns average173

Each quake is attributed to the town closest to its epicentre: the numbers describe the area, not the municipal territory alone.

Context

Province of Messina103 events · last 30 daysSicily region176 events · last 30 days
ISTAT code: 083047

Frequently asked questions

Were there earthquakes near Merì today?

Yes: today 2 quakes were recorded within 30 km of Merì; the strongest magnitude 1.7, the most recent at 00:11.

Is Merì a seismic area?

Merì 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 Merì?

In the INGV catalogue since 2015, the strongest earthquake within 30 km of Merì was magnitude 3.7, on 18 August 2026.

When was the last quake near Merì?

The last quake recorded within 30 km of Merì dates back to 13 October 2026, magnitude 1.7.

Tip. Click a nearby town to explore its seismicity.

Sources:INGV earthquake catalogueDBMI15 macroseismic historyCivil Protection seismic classification

Data: INGV — National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (CC-BY 4.0)