Portugal coast hit by 5.3 magnitude earthquake

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale struck in the early hours of Monday morning, according to the US Geophysical Institute (USGS) and the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

The shocks were most intense in the Sines, Lisbon and Setúbal areas, with reports on social media of the earthquake being felt as far as Porto, and even Spain and Morocco.

The Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA) has since revised the earthquake's magnitude to 5.3 on the Richter scale.

The earthquake was recorded at 5:11 am local time (6:11 am CET), with its epicentre 58 kilometres west of Sines, on the high seas, and at a depth of 21 kilometres, according to the IPMA.

"We received a lot of calls, especially from people who wanted to know what was going on and what they should do. At this time (6:00 am local time) we still haven't managed to count the number of calls received," said Commander José Miranda from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).

According to Miranda, there are no reports of victims or major damage at this time.

"We only have information at this time about a situation in a street in Sesimbra in which possible cracks in buildings are being assessed," he added.

In a statement issued Monday morning, the Portuguese government said it was "in close coordination with all the relevant services" following the earthquake.

It reassured that there was no record of personal or material damage and appealed to the population to remain calm and follow the recommendations of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.

The quake wasn’t big enough to create a tsunami on the US East Coast or Europe.

Over 2,000 people reported Monday's earthquake using the United States