Earthquake rocks east coast of North Island

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck the North Island's east coast on Monday, causing "huge" shaking for nearby residents.

The quake struck 15 km north-west of Matawai at 4:29pm at a depth of 39 km, with nearly 2000 people reporting they've felt the shock.

"HUGEEEEE shake just now #whakatane #eqnz," one person wrote on Twitter.

Others reported feeling it in Napier and Tauranga.

"Just felt an earthquake here in Tauranga... minor but definitely felt it and had my lights swinging. #EQNZ #Earthquake," another tweeted.

Newshub.