Did anybody sense it? 5.9 magnitude earthquake strikes Iran, Dubai feels tremors!

On Wednesday morning, people in Dubai reported experiencing vibrations as an earthquake struck Iran. A number of people shared their stories on social media. Objects in one Dubai resident’s room began to tremble just after 10 a.m. Another Twitter user said that their work chair rocked for roughly 30 seconds.

At 10:06 a.m. on Wednesday, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake was registered in Iran. According to the National Centre of Meteorology, it was ‘felt throughout the UAE’ but ‘had no effect’. The UAE has previously felt the aftershocks of earthquakes in Iran. Tremors are occasionally felt in the UAE, especially if they are of magnitude greater than 5.0.

Tremors were reported across the Emirates in November 2021 when Iran was shaken by two big earthquakes in less than a minute. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake was registered in southern Iran, followed by a 6.7-magnitude earthquake immediately thereafter. Residents in Downtown Dubai, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Sports City experienced building shaking. Residents uploaded the footage on Twitter of goods in their flats being rocked by the 1,000km-away quake. They described how certain buildings and workplaces were evacuated as a precaution.

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck Iran’s southern Fars Province in June 2020, triggering minor vibrations in northern areas of the Emirates. Residents across the UAE felt the ground tremble in February of that year when a 5.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Iran’s Qeshm Island. Buildings around the country trembled, and computer monitors were reported to shake.

Such earthquakes seldom have a substantial impact on life in the Emirates, although they can occasionally make their presence felt strong enough. The UAE had its own earthquake in October, but on a far lesser scale. With a magnitude of 1.9, the tremor in Dibba was classified as a ‘micro-earthquake’. In recent weeks, Iran has seen an increase in the frequency of earthquakes.

It is one of the most seismically active nations on the planet. Quakes have killed at least 126,000 people in Iran since 1900. The deadliest was a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in northern Iran in 1990, which killed 40,000 people and injured 300,000. At least 500,000 people were displaced.