British expats in Almeria suffered a fright on Thursday night when a 3.7-magnitude earthquake caused their homes to shake.

According to the National Geographic Institute (IGN), the tremor struck at 8.53pm.

Its epicentre was located in Cuevas del Almanzora, close to Ballabona, at a depth of around six kilometres. The IGN had initially placed the epicentre in nearby Antas.

The tremor was felt strongly across the Levante Almeriense, although the most intense shaking reportedly lasted little more than a second.

Brits took to social media to describe how furniture and windows rattled inside homes, while people outdoors reported feeling the ground move beneath them.

One Spanish Eye reader said: ‘I felt it here in Huercal Overa, the windows shook and my sofa rocked. The dog jumped up from laying on the floor.’

‘Felt quite a shake here in Turre,’ another said.

Some witnesses even reported seeing street lights and road signs shaking.

Andalucia’s 112 emergency service received multiple calls related to the tremor, from Antas and Vera.

However, there were no immediate reports of injuries or material damage.

The earthquake comes after a particularly active period for seismic activity in Almeria earlier this year.

Dozens of earthquakes were recorded around Tabernas during February, the strongest of which struck shortly before 1am on February 16 and reached a magnitude of 4.3.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.