Updated 12.30pm: Thousands of people across the Central North Island reported feeling last night's earthquake, centred east of Waiouru, inlcuding residents in Whakatane and Opotiki.

The 5.4 magnitude quake struck at 6.42pm. It was felt mainly in Napier, Hastings, New Plymouth and Palmerston North, with reports being sent in to Geonet Science from Whanganui.

Last night's earthquake was felt across the North Island. Photo: GeoNet.

The earthquake was only lightly felt in Whakatane and Opotiki, with no reports being sent from Tauranga.

The earthquake was 39km deep, and located 35km North East of Taihape – which puts it around 20km east of Mount Ruapehu.

A total of 3762 people emailed GeoNet to inform them that they felt the earthquake.

For more than 3000, however, it was only lightly felt.

Two people reported damage, one near Egmont Village and the other at Norsewood.

Duty seismologist at GNS Science Brad Scott says the depth of the earthquake is the key to where it was felt.

'Because of the depth the felt effects were very wide, through to top of the South Island to Blenheim and Nelson,”

It was also noticed by people in Napier and Hastings because of the plate boundaries, says Brad.

'Because of the depth of the earthquake it propagates up the plate boundaries, so the deeper larger earthquakes tend to be felt strongly in the east coast, than actually above them.

'It's easier for the energy to go back up the plate boundary than it is to go up to the surface directly above it.”

The earthquake was centred outside the Central North Island volcanic zone, and is perceived as a tectonic earthquake, says Brad.