Banda Sea 5.3 magnitude earthquake felt in Darwin, Palmerston, Batchelor on May 10

The aftershocks of a 5.3 magnitude earthquake off East Timor were felt in Darwin, rattling windows and startling residents.

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Banda Sea on the morning of May 10. Picture: Geoscience Australia

Top End residents were shaken awake on Saturday morning by the aftershock from 5.3 magnitude earthquake in the ocean east of East Timor.

According to Geoscience Australia, the quake occurred about 8:15am in the Banda Sea at a depth of 156km.

As at 9:30am ACST 98 ‘felt’ reports relating to the quake had been sent to Geoscience Australia by members of the public.

Residents took to Facebook to share how the quake affected them, with some saying they had felt it in Palmerston, and as far south as Batchelor.

“Felt it in Tiwi. We have an old elevated house so it shook a bit, windows rattled a little,” one person said.

“I thought it was the dog scratching herself under the bed.” another commented.

“Wobbling in my armchair at the Darwin Esplanade,” a Darwin resident wrote.

In Nightcliff, apartment buildings creaked as the tremors rolled through – with one resident watching a glass of water wobble for almost a minute from 8.18am.

A woman noted there had been a “very quick but strong” tremor at the Waterfront.

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed there was no tsunami risk from the earthquake.

On April 1 2o25, a 5.7 magnitude also originating in the Banda Sea was felt in Darwin.

Originally published as Banda Sea 5.3 magnitude earthquake felt in Darwin, Palmerston, Batchelor on May 10